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PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Anatomic repair of meniscal pathology is critical for restoring native joint biomechanics and kinematics for patients who suffer from meniscal tears. The purpose of this review was to summarize the pertinent anatomy, biomechanics, and kinematics of the meniscus to guide surgeons during meniscal repair procedures. RECENT FINDINGS: Over the past decade, there has been a growing trend to save the meniscus whenever possible. The goal of repair should be to recreate native anatomy as close as possible to recapitulate normal mechanics. Studies describing the quantitative and qualitative relationship of the meniscus roots, ligaments, and attachments are key in guiding any meniscus repair. This review summarizes these relationships, with particular emphasis on meniscal roots and other key attachments to the meniscus. The composition, embryology, vascularization, biomechanics, in vivo kinetics, and in vivo kinematics of the meniscus are also discussed in this review. SUMMARY: Meniscal tears can cause profound functional, biomechanical, and kinematic derangements within the knee joint leading to accelerated degeneration of the articular cartilage. A strong understanding of the quantitative and qualitative relationships of the meniscus and its attachments with key arthroscopic landmarks will allow a surgeon to anatomically repair meniscal pathology in order to restore native joint biomechanics.

Three species of dinophysoid planktonic dinoflagellates are described from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Amphisolenia sp. aff. brevicauda was collected at 70-m depth in the Ionian Sea. This small species showed a more asymmetric midbody and a proportionally longer neck when compared to the closer relative A. brevicauda. Three individuals of Dinofurcula tricornuta sp. nov. collected at 154-m depth in the Marmara Sea are characterized by three posterior-oriented processes when compared to its congeneric species. This is the first record of the genus Dinofurcula beyond the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Dinophysis profunda sp. nov. collected at 500-m depth in the Ionian Sea is characterized by ovate hypotheca and a serrate crest-like left sulcal list when compared to its close relative D. alata. These findings evidence an undescribed biodiversity in the under-sampled subphotic depths.

As in most equatorial zones, in the sugarcane production zone of Colombia (SPZ), a typical rainfall pattern is known, i.e. bimodal. This pattern, in which two rainy seasons alternate with two dry seasons throughout the year, is explained by the marked effect of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) on the climate of the region. Although the referred pattern is true, it has been generalized and idealized, suggesting dry and rainy seasons with similar duration and intensity. A classic intervention analysis was applied to three daily mean time series generated with historical data from 29 locations located in the SPZ to generate the intra-annual rainfall patterns for each location. The series corresponds to the historical climatological scenario, and the other two scenarios correspond to a synthetic El Nino year and a La Nina year. It was found that there are marked differences between the rainfall patterns in the northern, southern and central localities of the SPZ, although the maximum distance between the two farthest localities is only 200 km. The idealized bimodal rainfall pattern is very similar to that of the center of the SPZ but dissimilar to that of the southern and northern zones. The patterns also vary depending on the La Nina or El Nino condition. With this information, zones of differential management of cane crop were defined.

Background Driver mutations are the genetic components responsible for tumor initiation and progression. These variants, which may be inherited, influence cancer risk and therefore underlie many familial cancers. The present study examines the potential association between SNPs in driver genes SF3B1 (rs4685), TBX3 (rs12366395, rs8853, and rs1061651) and MAP3K1 (rs72758040) and BC in BRCA1/2-negative Chilean families. Methods The SNPs were genotyped in 486 BC cases and 1258 controls by TaqMan Assay. Results Our data do not support an association between rs4685:C > T, rs8853:T > C, or rs1061651:T > C and BC risk. However, the rs12366395-G allele (A/G + G/G) was associated with risk in families with a strong history of BC (OR = 1.2 [95% CI 1.0–1.6] p = 0.02 and OR = 1.5 [95% CI 1.0–2.2] p = 0.02, respectively). Moreover, rs72758040-C was associated with increased risk in cases with a moderate-to-strong family history of BC (OR = 1.3 [95% CI 1.0–1.7] p = 0.02 and OR = 1.3 [95% CI 1.0–1.8] p = 0.03 respectively). Finally, risk was significantly higher in homozygous C/C cases from families with a moderate-to-strong BC history (OR = 1.8 [95% CI 1.0–3.1] p = 0.03 and OR = 1.9 [95% CI 1.1–3.4] p = 0.01, respectively). We also evaluated the combined impact of rs12366395-G and rs72758040-C. Familial BC risk increased in a dose-dependent manner with risk allele count, reflecting an additive effect (p-trend = 0.0002). Conclusions Our study suggests that germline variants in driver genes TBX3 (rs12366395) and MAP3K1 (rs72758040) may influence BC risk in BRCA1/2-negative Chilean families. Moreover, the presence of rs12366395-G and rs72758040-C could increase BC risk in a Chilean population.

Resonant elastic X-ray scattering (REXS) offers a unique tool to investigate solid-state systems providing spatial knowledge from diffraction combined with electronic information through the enhanced absorption process, allowing the probing of magnetic, charge, spin, and orbital degrees of spatial order together with electronic structure. A new promising application of REXS is to elucidate the chiral structure of electrical polarization emergent in a ferroelectric oxide superlattice in which the polarization vectors in the REXS amplitude are implicitly described through an anisotropic tensor corresponding to the quadrupole moment. Here, we present a detailed theoretical framework and analysis to quantitatively analyze the experimental results of Ti L-edge REXS of a polar vortex array formed in a PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattice. Based on this theoretical framework, REXS for polar chiral structures can become a useful tool similar to x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS), enabling a comprehensive study of both electric and magnetic REXS on the chiral structures. K.T.K., S.Y.P., and D.R.L acknowledge financial support by National Research Foundation of Korea (Grant No. NRF-2020R1A2C1009597, NRF-2019K1A3A7A09033387, and NRF-2021R1C1C1009494). M.M. and R.R. were supported by the Quantum Materials program from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, US Department of Energy (DE-AC02-05CH11231). V.A.S., J.W.F., and L.W.M. acknowledge the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Award Number DE-SC-0012375 for support to study complex-oxide heterostructure with X-ray scattering. L.W.M. and R.R. acknowledge partial support from the Army Research Office under the ETHOS MURI via cooperative agreement W911NF-21-2-0162. J.Í. acknowledges financial support from the Luxembourg National Research Fund through project FNR/C18/MS/12705883/REFOX. M.A.P.G. was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (project no. 19-28594X). Diamond Light Source, UK, is acknowledged for beamtime on beamline I10 under proposal NT24797. Use of the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231, and use of the Advanced Photon Source was supported by DOE’s Office of Science under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Academic entrepreneurship at universities allows students to leverage entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial activities and university resources, when exploiting the deep knowledge of their research. The establishment of a new research university in NYC—Cornell Tech—offered the opportunity to experiment with a startup postdoc program, initiated there, called Runway, examining technology transfer by postdoc startups based on the notion that committed postdocs could be effective agents in commercializing their research. The program has unique features that differentiate it from incubator and accelerator programs. It is framed and structured as a postdoctoral program embedded in and legitimated by the university’s research and education institutions; it provides entrepreneurial postdocs with a structured educational program for translational research and company founding to transform them from scientists into entrepreneurs; and it offers a simple, startup-friendly intellectual property and financial model. Action research, common in educational program experiments, was used as the research model. The program was launched in 2014 and has incorporated 25 postdocs and their startups. This program shows that a university startup postdoc track can be an effective channel for technology transfer, and provide a career option for Ph.D. graduates. Contributions to technology transfer and academic entrepreneurship research are discussed.

Complex topological configurations are fertile ground for exploring emergent phenomena and exotic phases in condensed-matter physics. For example, the recent discovery of polarization vortices and their associated complex-phase coexistence and response under applied electric fields in superlattices of (PbTiO3)n/(SrTiO3)n suggests the presence of a complex, multi-dimensional system capable of interesting physical responses, such as chirality, negative capacitance and large piezo-electric responses1-3. Here, by varying epitaxial constraints, we discover room-temperature polar-skyrmion bubbles in a lead titanate layer confined by strontium titanate layers, which are imaged by atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. Phase-field modelling and second-principles calculations reveal that the polar-skyrmion bubbles have a skyrmion number of +1, and resonant soft-X-ray diffraction experiments show circular dichroism, confirming chirality. Such nanometre-scale polar-skyrmion bubbles are the electric analogues of magnetic skyrmions, and could contribute to the advancement of ferroelectrics towards functionalities incorporating emergent chirality and electrically controllable negative capacitance.

One of the most critical components of the US transportation system is railroads, accommodating transportation for 48% of the nation’s total modal tonnage. Despite such vital importance, more than half of the railroad bridges, an essential component of railroad infrastructure in maintaining the flow of the network, were built before 1920; as a result, bridges comprise one of the most fragile components of the railroad system. Current structural inspection practice does not ensure sufficient information for both short- and long-term condition assessment while keeping the operation cost low enough for mandatory annual inspection. In this paper, we document the development process of an autonomous, affordable system for monitoring railroad bridges using the wireless smart sensor (WSS) so that a complete end-to-end monitoring solution can provide relevant information directly from the bridges to the end-users. The system’s main contribution is to capture the train-crossing event efficiently and eliminate the need for a human-in-the-loop for remote data retrieval and post-processing. In the proposed system, an adaptive strategy combining an event-based and schedule-based framework is implemented. The wireless system addresses the challenges of remote data retrieval by integrating 4G-LTE functionality into the sensor network and completes the data pipeline with a cloud-based data management and visualization solution. This system is realized on hardware, software, and framework levels. To demonstrate the efficacy of this system, a full-scale monitoring campaign is reported. By overcoming the challenges of monitoring railroad bridges wirelessly and autonomously, this system is expected to be an essential tool for bridge engineers and decision-makers.

Aiming to increase the reproducibility of biomedical research results, biobanks obtain human tissues of the highest quality and carry out different storage methods adapted to the needs of analytical technique to be performed by the biomedical researchers. However, there is much controversy and little data concerning the real impact of different stabilization methods on tissue quality, integrity and functionality of derived biomolecules. The influence of four stabilization methods [RNAlater (RNL), snap freezing (SF), snap freezing using Optimal Cutting Tissue compound (SF-OCT) and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE)] on RNA quality and integrity was evaluated in paired samples of lung tissue. RNA integrity was evaluated through PCR-endpoint assays amplifying six fragments of different length of the HPRT1 gene and RNA Integrity Number (RIN). To evaluate the difference of tissue functionality among the stabilization methods tested, RT-qPCRs were performed focusing on the differential expression of the HPRT1, SNRPD3 and Jun genes. RNA from the samples preserved with the RNL or SF-OCT method showed better integrity compared to SF and FFPE, measured by PCR-endpoint and RTqPCR assays. However, only statistically significant differences were observed between the RNA from FFPE and other stabilization methods when gene expression of HPRT1, SNRPD3 and Jun housekeeping genes were determined by RT-qPCR. For the three mentioned genes, Cq and RIN values were highly correlated. The present work describes the fragility of SF samples, being critical the moment just before RNA extraction, although further experiments of tissue RNA are needed. Standardization pre-analytic workflow can lead to improved reproducibility between biomedical research studies. The present study demonstrated clear evidences about the impact of the stabilization method on RNA derived from lung human tissue samples., We thank all volunteers of Pulmonary Biobank Consortium for the participation and sample donation. We also thank Institut d'Investigacio Sanitaria de les Illes Balears (IdISBa) for publication funding (Liberi 2020 Program). This work was funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades of Spain and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI16/00528) through the Spanish Biobank Network (PT17/0015/0001) and granted by Conselleria d'Innovacio, Recerca i Turisme del Govern de les Illes Balears (TEC/002/2017).

Anisakiasis is a global disease caused by consumption of raw or lightly cooked fish parasitised with Anisakis spp. third-stage larvae. Cases in the literature show colocalised anisakiasis and colorectal cancer, and the incidental finding of Anisakis larvae at the tumour site was reported. Data from our group suggested an epidemiological link between previous infection and gastrointestinal cancer. Furthermore, it has recently been reported that Anisakis products lead to inflammation and DNA damage. Based on these facts, the aim was to investigate whether Anisakis antigens are able to induce changes in the proliferation of epithelial cells in vitro or in the expression of serum microRNA (miRNA) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Anisakis complete extract (CE) induced increases in cell proliferation and decreases in apoptosis compared with nontreated cells, which resulted in a significant increase in the absolute number of viable cells at 48 h of exposure (P

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the hydrodynamic thrombectomy catheter (AngioJet DVX) in the salvage of thrombosed hemodialysis vascular grafts. A retrospective study was designed, including all patients with occluded arteriovenous grafts treated with the AngioJet system between 2007 and 2014 in our institution. Outcomes included technical success, clinical success, complications, and primary and secondary patencies. Procedural success was defined as angiographic confirmation of flow restoration, the presence of a pulsatile thrill along the graft, and successful resumption of at least one hemodialysis session. Primary and secondary patencies after first AVG thrombectomy were calculated with Kaplan–Meier curves. Cox regression was used to determine prognostic factors of primary patency after every thrombectomy episode. A total of 149 thrombectomies were performed in 68 grafts. After thrombectomy, endovascular treatment of one or more stenosis was performed in all cases. Technical success was 93% and clinical success was 86%. Complications occurred in 7 thrombectomies, most of them were minor except for one anastomosis rupture requiring surgery. Primary and secondary patencies were 52, 41, and 23 and 76, 68, and 57% at 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Independent prognostic factors of poor patency after every thrombectomy episode were the presence of residual thrombus (OR 1.831, P = 0.008) and time from last thrombosis (less than 1 month; and OR 7.116, P

Operations management researchers have largely studied and analysed lean manufacturing (LM) for its capacity for productivity improvement in industry. Even so, this approach has found several difficulties in dealing with all production types, especially in high-variety and low-volume production. Managers have complemented other approaches to LM to resolve those issues, but there is little research considering quick response manufacturing (QRM). This research shows how QRM can complement LM in a make-to-order environment. Two cases were analysed, where both approaches were used in a complementary way. Data were collected throughout interviews, document analyses and observation. As the main result, we show that QRM complements LM by means of incorporating concepts of system dynamics, exclusively focusing on lead time reduction and the continuous monitoring of utilisation levels.

Cyclodialysis is the result of the separation of the longitudinal ciliary muscle fibers from the scleral spur, which creates an abnormal pathway for aqueous humor drainage that may lead to ocular hypotony. For many years cyclodialysis was considered a treatment option for glaucoma. However, today it usually occurs as a complication of blunt trauma or more rarely as a complication of anterior segment ocular surgery. Ocular hypotony can lead to cataract development, optic disk swelling, refractive changes, and several retinal complications, making accurate identification and timely intervention of the cleft mandatory. Traditionally gonioscopy was the only available technique to diagnose and localize the cleft. However, other tests such as optical coherence tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, transillumination, and specially ultrasound biomicroscopy are now available for the diagnosis of cyclodialysis. Multiple treatment options are also available for this condition. Although medical treatment can be effective to close small clefts, surgery is needed in most patients to restore ocular pressure.

Two commercial activated carbons with differences in their superficial chemistry, one granular and the other pelletised, were modified for use in phenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol adsorption. In this paper, changes to the activated carbon surface will be evaluated from their immersion calorimetry in water and benzene, and they will then be compared with Area BET, chemical parameters, micropore size distributions and hydrophobicity factors of the modified activated carbons. The activated carbons were modified using 60 % solutions of phosphoric acid (H3PO4), nitric acid (HNO3), zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and potassium hydroxide (KOH); the activated carbon/solution ratio was 1:3 and impregnation was conducted 291 K for a period of 72 h before samples were washed until a constant pH was obtained. Water immersion calorimetry showed that the best results were obtained from activated carbons modified with nitric acid, which increased from −10.6 to −29.8 J g−1 for modified granular activated carbon, and −30.9 to −129.3 J g−1 for pelletised activated carbon. Additionally, they showed the best results in phenol and 2.4-dititrophenol adsorption. Those results indicate that impregnation with nitric acid under the employed conditions could generate a greater presence of oxygenated groups on their surface, which favours hydrogen bond formation and the increased adsorption of polar compounds. It should also be noted that immersion enthalpy in benzene for modified activated carbon with nitric acid is the method with the lowest value, which is consistent with the increased presence of polar groups on its surface. Regarding hydrophobicity factors, it was observed that granular carbons modified with nitric acid and potassium hydroxide have the lowest ratios, indicating greater interaction with water.

This article describes a study on a non-thermal plasma device to treat exhaust gases in an internal combustion engine. Several tests using a plasma device to treat exhaust gases are conducted on a Honda GX200-196 cm3 engine at different rotational speeds. A plasma reactor could be efficient in degrading nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Monoxide and carbon dioxide treatment is minimal. However, achieving 1%–3% degradation may be interesting to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

Seven samples of activated carbon obtained from a lignocellulosic material, seeds of Mucuna mutisiana, by physical activation with nitrogen–steam at different activation times are characterized by CO2 adsorption and immersion enthalpies in CCl4 and H2O. The CO2 isotherms at 273 K and immersion enthalpies in CCl4 and water for the samples are determined with the aim of obtaining relations between the energetic parameters obtained of the Langmuir and Dubinin–Radushkevich models and the immersion enthalpies since the adsorbent–adsorbate interactions occur in gas phase and liquid phase, respectively. The values for the maximum volume of CO2 adsorbed, V m, obtained by Langmuir model are in a range between 70.9 and 108 cm3 g−1. Adsorption characteristic energy of CO2 and the immersion enthalpy in CCl4 follow a behavior of second-order, and the maximum volume adsorbed, V m, decreases with the increase in the characteristic energy. The immersion enthalpies of activated carbons in water show a direct relationship with the maximum volume of CO2 adsorbed indicating the influence of specific interactions in the CO2 adsorption for the set of activated carbons obtained.

This work focuses on the influence of Cenozoic volcanism of the Campo de Calatrava volcanic field on the sedimentation of two small continental basins in Spain (Argamasilla and Calzada-Moral basins). The volcanism in this area was mainly monogenetic, according to the small-volume volcanic edifices of scoria cones that were generated and the occurrence of tuff rings and maars. A sedimentological analysis of the volcaniclastic deposits led to the identification of facies close to the vents, low-density (dilute) pyroclastic surges, secondary volcanic deposits and typical maar deposits. Whole-rock K/Ar dating, together with palaeomagnetic constraints, yielded an age of 3.11–3.22 Ma for the onset of maar formation, the deposition finished in the Late Gauss–Early Matuyana. Using both techniques and previous paleontological data allowed it to be inferred that the maar formation and the re-sedimentation stage that occurred in Argamasilla and Calzada-Moral basins were roughly coeval. The occurrence of syn-eruption volcaniclastic deposits with small thicknesses that were separated by longer inter-eruption periods, where fluvial and lacustrine sedimentation was prevalent, together with the presence of small-volume volcanic edifices indicated that there were short periods of volcanic activity in this area. The volcanic activity was strongly controlled by previous basement faults that favoured magma feeding, and the faults also controlled the location of volcanoes themselves. The occurrence of the volcanoes in the continental basins led to the creation of shallow lakes that were related to the maar formation and the modification of sedimentological intra-basinal features, specifically, valley slope and sediment load.

Diplopia is a very disturbing condition that has been reported as a complication of several surgical procedures. The following review aims to identify the ocular and nonocular surgical techniques more often associated with this undesirable result. Diplopia is reported as an adverse outcome of some neurosurgical procedures, dental procedures, endoscopic paranasal sinus surgery, and several ophthalmic procedures. The most common patterns and some recommendations in order to prevent and treat this frustrating outcome are also given.

The purpose of the present study was to compare pharyngeal and polysomnographical findings during drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) performed with either propofol or midazolam as a single sedative agent. It is prospective, non-randomized, double-blinded case series study. Sixteen patients with sleep disordered breathing were sedated first with propofol and after full wake up with midazolam. Simultaneous polysomnography (PSG) was performed. We compared the zones of obstruction and vibration found with both drugs using the VOTE classification. Simultaneous PSG findings are also compared. There were 15 men and one woman; the mean age was 42.7 years old, mean body mass index 26.9 kg/m(2). Average DISE duration was 20 min with Propofol and 14.3 min with Midazolam. The induced sleep stage obtained was N2 with both drugs. Outpatient physical exam did not correlate with drug-induced sleep findings. There was a good correlation between DISE results with both drugs in all the areas of collapse except the velum (p < 0.005). Using a continuous perfusion, there is a good agreement in the findings observed in DISE performed with propofol and midazolam and PSG.

To examine the associations of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and walking for transportation (WT) with the physical and mental dimensions of health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) among women.A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2009 among 1,263 women ages 18-59 years living in neighborhoods with low and middle-low socioeconomic status in the urban area of Cali. HR-QOL was assessed using the Short Form 8 (SF-8). LTPA and WT were measured using the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Associations were assessed using linear regression models adjusting for potential confounders.Low (10-149 min) and medium-high (at least 150 min) levels of WT were negatively associated with the mental and physical dimensions of HR-QOL. Low (10-149 min of moderate intensity PA, or 10-74 min of vigorous intensity PA) and medium-high (at least 150 or 75 min of moderate or vigorous intensity PA, respectively) levels of LTPA were positively associated with both dimensions. Significant interactions were observed between education level and perceived safety from traffic.This study found that WT and LTPA were associated with HR-QOL both in the physical and mental dimensions; however, the direction and magnitude of the association varied by domain. These results highlight the need to better understand the links between PA and HR-QOL in urban contexts from Latin America.

Bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) containing gold and various second metals (M = Pd, Pt, Cu, and Ag) supported on alumina (AuM/Alumina) were prepared using sodium citrate as stabilizer. In addition, supported monometallic Au/Alumina and Pd/Alumina were synthesized and tested to reveal synergistic effects in the catalytic evaluation of the bimetallic catalysts. The monometallic and bimetallic NPs revealed average sizes below 10 nm. The oxidation of benzyl alcohol with molecular oxygen as oxidant at mild conditions in liquid phase in the absence and presence (toluene or NaOH aqueous solution, 0.2 M) of a solvent was selected as test reaction to evaluate the catalytic properties of the above-mentioned solids. AuPd/Alumina exhibited the best catalytic activity among all bimetallic catalysts using toluene as solvent and under solvent-free conditions, respectively. In comparison to the monometallic catalysts, a synergistic effect with AuPd/Alumina was only evident in the solvent-free reaction. The AuPd/Alumina catalyst was able to oxidize benzyl alcohol selectively depending on the reaction medium into benzaldehyde (toluene or solvent-free) or benzoic acid (NaOH aqueous solution, 0.2 M). However, the catalyst deactivated due to particle growth of the bimetallic AuPd NPs by Ostwald ripening and leaching was not observed in the oxidation using toluene as solvent. The size of the catalytically active NPs, the metal composition of the particles, and the reaction conditions greatly influenced the catalytic oxidation results.

In the process of building a European Private Law, the lawmaking and harmonization dimensions—the modes of harmonization and even more, the scope and reach of the harmonizing effect of the European rules- appear as crucial issues. We show how the harmonization strategy is as important a question as whether we should have European Private Law at all. We present an economic discussion of the different modes of harmonizing Private Law in the abstract, and how they are likely to differently affect outcomes. We also present in informal terms a simple economic model of how to build optimal harmonized rules and standards in a setting of pre-existing separate and diverse national ones, and we systematically explore how the different harmonization regimes (maximum harmonization, minimum harmonization, and pure co-existence of harmonized and national standards) affect the outcomes of the harmonization process.

This retrospective study examined the feasibility and efficacy of bilateral lung radiofrequency ablation (RFA) performed in a single session.From 2002-2009, patients with bilateral lung metastases were treated by RFA, where possible in a single session under general anesthesia with CT guidance. The second lung was punctured only if no complications occurred after treatment of the first lung. Five lung metastases maximum per patient were treated by RFA and prospectively followed. The primary endpoint was the evaluation of acute and delayed complications. Secondary endpoints were calculation of hospitalization duration, local efficacy, median survival, and median time to tumor progression. Local efficacy was evaluated on CT or positron emission tomography (PET) CT.Sixty-seven patients were treated for bilateral lung metastases with RFA (mean age, 62 years). Single-session treatment was not possible in 40 due to severe pneumothoraces (n = 24), bilateral pleural contact (n = 14), and operational exclusions (n = 2). Twenty-seven (41%) received single-session RFA of lesions in both lungs for 66 metastases overall. Fourteen unilateral and four bilateral pneumothoraces occurred (18 overall, 66.7%). Unilateral (n = 13) and bilateral (n = 2) chest tube drainage was required. Median hospitalization was 3 (range, 2-8) days. Median survival was 26 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 19-33). Four recurrences on RFA sites were observed (4 patients). Median time to tumor progression was 9.5 months (95% CI, 4.2-23.5).Although performing single-session bilateral lung RFA is not always possible due to pneumothoraces after RFA of first lung, when it is performed, this technique is safe and effective.

An exact theory of irreversibility was proposed by Misra, Prigogine and Courbage, based on non-unitary similarity transformations Λ that intertwine reversible dynamics and irreversible ones. This would advocate the idea that irreversible behavior would originate at the microscopic level. Reversible evolution with an internal time operator have the intertwining property. Recently the inverse intertwining problem has been answered in the negative, that is, not every unitary evolution allowing such Λ-transformation has an internal time. This work contributes new results in this direction.

Spectral representations of the dilation and translation operators on L 2(ℝ) are built through appropriate bases. Orthonormal wavelets and multiresolution analysis are then described in terms of rigid operator-valued functions defined on the functional spectral spaces. The approach is useful for computational purposes.

The Ellobiopsidae are enigmatic parasites of crustaceans that have been grouped together exclusively on the basis of morphological similarities. Ultrastructural studies have revealed their affiliation within the alveolates, which was confirmed by the phylogenetic analysis of the ribosomal RNA gene (SSU rDNA) sequences of two species of Thalassomyces Niezabitowski, 1913. However, their precise systematic position within this group remains unresolved, since they could not be definitively allied with any particular alveolate group. To better determine the systematic position of ellobiopsids by molecular phylogeny, we sequenced the SSU rDNA from the type-species of the Ellobiopsidae, Ellobiopsis chattoni Caullery, 1910. We found E. chattoni infecting various copepod hosts, Acartia clausi Giesbrecht, Centropages typicus Kröyer and Clausocalanus sp., in the Bay of Marseille, NW Mediterranean Sea, which allowed us to study several stages of the parasite development. A single unicellular multinucleate specimen provided two different sequences of the SSU rDNA gene, indicating the existence of polymorphism at this locus within single individuals. Ellobiopsis Caullery, 1910 and Thalassomyces formed a very divergent and well-supported clade in phylogenetic analyses. This clade appears to be more closely related to the dinoflagellates (including the Syndiniales/Marine Alveolate Group II and the Dinokaryota) and Marine Alveolate Group I than to the other alveolates (Ciliophora, Perkinsozoa and Apicomplexa).

BACKGROUND: Cut points for defining obesity have been derived from mortality data among Whites from Europe and the United States and their accuracy to screen for high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in other ethnic groups has been questioned. OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy and to define ethnic and gender-specific optimal cut points for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) when they are used in screening for high risk of CHD in the Latin-American and the US populations. METHODS: We estimated the accuracy and optimal cut points for BMI, WC and WHR to screen for CHD risk in Latin Americans (n=18 976), non-Hispanic Whites (Whites; n=8956), non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks; n=5205) and Hispanics (n=5803). High risk of CHD was defined as a 10-year risk > or =20% (Framingham equation). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) and the misclassification-cost term were used to assess accuracy and to identify optimal cut points. RESULTS: WHR had the highest AUC in all ethnic groups (from 0.75 to 0.82) and BMI had the lowest (from 0.50 to 0.59). Optimal cut point for BMI was similar across ethnic/gender groups (27 kg/m(2)). In women, cut points for WC (94 cm) and WHR (0.91) were consistent by ethnicity. In men, cut points for WC and WHR varied significantly with ethnicity: from 91 cm in Latin Americans to 102 cm in Whites, and from 0.94 in Latin Americans to 0.99 in Hispanics, respectively. CONCLUSION: WHR is the most accurate anthropometric indicator to screen for high risk of CHD, whereas BMI is almost uninformative. The same BMI cut point should be used in all men and women. Unique cut points for WC and WHR should be used in all women, but ethnic-specific cut points seem warranted among men.

This study is the first to describe and illustrate the dinoflagellate genus Dicroerisma in the open Pacific Sea and in the southern hemisphere. Eleven individuals ascribed to Dicroerisma psilonereiella were encountered in subsurface waters (>70 m depth) from 34°N to 33°S. Another specimen that differs from the type is also illustrated. These findings reveal that Dicroerisma is a widespread genus and that there is tentative existence of another species within the genus.

The Italian and Balkan peninsulas have been places traditionally highlighted as Pleistocene glacial refuges. The Iberian Peninsula, however, has been a focus of controversy between geobotanists and palaeobotanists as a result of its exclusion from this category on different occasions. In the current paper, we synthesise geological, molecular, palaeobotanical and geobotanical data that show the importance of the Iberian Peninsula in the Western Mediterranean as a refugium area. The presence of Aesculus aff. hippocastanum L. at the Iberian site at Cal Guardiola (Tarrasa, Barcelona, NE Spain) in the Lower–Middle Pleistocene transition helps to consolidate the remarkable role of the Iberian Peninsula in the survival of tertiary species during the Pleistocene. The palaeodistribution of the genus in Europe highlights a model of area abandonment for a widely-distributed species in the Miocene and Pliocene, leading to a diminished and fragmentary presence in the Pleistocene and Holocene on the southern Mediterranean peninsulas. Aesculus fossils are not uncommon within the series of Tertiary taxa. Many appear in the Pliocene and suffer a radical impoverishment in the Lower–Middle Pleistocene transition. Nonetheless some of these tertiary taxa persisted throughout the Pleistocene and Holocene up to the present in the Iberian Peninsula. Locating these refuge areas on the Peninsula is not an easy task, although areas characterised by a sustained level of humidity must have played an predominant role.

The morphology and distribution of the diatoms Chaetoceros tetrastichon and Ch. dadayi as epiphytes on the loricae of the tintinnids Eutintinnus apertus and E. pinguis investigated in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. The Eutintinnus–Chaetoceros consortia was encountered in 38 of the 52 sampling stations from 34°N to 33°S, and together were among represented the most wide-spread species. The abundance was low with a maximum of 32 consortia l−1 and E. apertus was often the most abundant species of the genus. The free-living Eutintinnus congeneric species showed a wider vertical distribution, whereas E. apertus–Chaetoceros tended to be near the surface. The success of E. apertus in consortium with Chaetoceros may be due to increase of the clearance rate and/or the lower susceptibility to predation. Chaetoceros modifies its morphology to adapt the epiphytic life, especially Ch. dadayi. The shorter curved setae may facilitate the transfer to the lorica of the daughter tintinnid after the cell division. The free-living Ch. tetrastichon and Ch. dadayi are very rare and Chaetoceros remained attached to empty loricae or encysted tintinnid cells. This suggests that the Eutintinnus–Chaetoceros consortium is obligate for the success of the diatom and renders the tintinnid more competitive versus congeneric species.

Life span is a complex and multifactorial trait, which is shaped by genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and stochastic factors. The possibility that highly hypervariable short tandem repeats (STRs) associated with longevity has been largely explored by comparing the genotypic pools of long lived and younger individuals, but results so far have been contradictory. In view of these contradictory findings, the present study aims to investigate whether HUMTHO1 and HUMCSF1PO STRs, previously associated with longevity, exert a role as a modulator of life expectancy, as well as to assess the extent to which other autosomal STR markers are associated with human longevity in population from northern Spain. To that end, 21 autosomal microsatellite markers have been studied in 304 nonagenarian individuals (more than 90 years old) and 516 younger controls of European descent. Our results do not confirm the association found in previous studies between longevity and THO1 and CSF1PO loci. However, significant association between longevity and autosomal STR markers D12S391, D22S1045, and DS441 was observed. Even more, when we compared allelic frequency distribution of the 21 STR markers between cases and controls, we found that 6 out of the 21 STRs studied showed different allelic frequencies, thus suggesting that the genomic portrait of the human longevity is far complex and probably shaped by a high number of genomic loci.

Anisakiasis is a fish-borne parasitic disease caused by consumption of raw or undercooked fish or cephalopods parasited by Anisakis spp. third stage larvae. The pathological effects of the infection are the combined result of the mechanical action of the larva during tissue invasion, the direct tissue effects of the excretory/secretory products released by the parasite, and the complex interaction between the host immune system and the Anisakis antigens. The aim of this study was to develop an experimental model of infection with Anisakis spp. live larvae in rats, useful to study the acute and chronic histopathological effects of the Anisakis infection. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to esophageal catheterization to place larvae directly into the stomach. Reinfections at different intervals after the first infection were preformed. Live larvae were found anchored to the mucosa and passing through the wall of the stomach and showed a strong resistance being able to stay alive at different sites and at the different pH. Migration of larvae from the stomach to other organs out of the gastrointestinal tract was also observed. The histopathological study showed the acute inflammatory reaction, with predominance of polymorphonuclear eosinophils and a mild fibrotic reaction. The model of infection described is valid to study the behavior of the larvae inside the host body, the histopathological changes at the invasion site, and the effects of the repeated infections by ingestion of live larvae.

An annotated checklist of free-living dinoflagellates (Dinophyceae) of the Black Sea, based on literature records, is reported and compared to the Mediterranean Sea and world oceans. Toxic species and/or responsible of harmful algal blooms (HAB) are marked in the checklist. From the 267 species (54 genera) listed nearly all taxa can be considered as cosmopolitan and no species as endemic. Several typically Arctic-boreal species (non recorded from the Mediterranean Sea) are reported from the Black Sea. The taxonomy and the biogeography of the taxa are discussed.

Metastases of internal tumors to the oral cavity are unusual and involve in most cases maxilla and mandible, while metastases of the gingival soft tissue are extremely rare. We report a case of gingival metastasis from rectai cancer.

Background Increasing empirical evidence supports associations between neighborhood environments and physical activity. However, since most studies were conducted in a single country, particularly western countries, the generalizability of associations in an international setting is not well understood. The current study examined whether associations between perceived attributes of neighborhood environments and physical activity differed by country. Methods Population representative samples from 11 countries on five continents were surveyed using comparable methodologies and measurement instruments. Neighborhood environment × country interactions were tested in logistic regression models with meeting physical activity recommendations as the outcome, adjusted for demographic characteristics. Country-specific associations were reported. Results Significant neighborhood environment attribute × country interactions implied some differences across countries in the association of each neighborhood attribute with meeting physical activity recommendations. Across the 11 countries, land-use mix and sidewalks had the most consistent associations with physical activity. Access to public transit, bicycle facilities, and low-cost recreation facilities had some associations with physical activity, but with less consistency across countries. There was little evidence supporting the associations of residential density and crime-related safety with physical activity in most countries. Conclusion There is evidence of generalizability for the associations of land use mix, and presence of sidewalks with physical activity. Associations of other neighborhood characteristics with physical activity tended to differ by country. Future studies should include objective measures of neighborhood environments, compare psychometric properties of reports across countries, and use better specified models to further understand the similarities and differences in associations across countries.

No data about the nature or function of the first major Anisakis simplex allergen, named Ani s 1, is available. The aim of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural localization of this protein, to obtain further information about it. Ani s 1 was detected in secretory granules of the excretory gland and occasionally lining the main excretory canal. Our results suggest that Ani s 1 could be a secretory product and could have an enzymatic function related to mechanisms of infection.