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The synthesis of nanoporous gold (np‐Au) through the conventional method of dealloying a more reactive element from AuTherma alloys has been extensively studied and applied in various fields, particularly catalysis. Herein, a novel approach to creating droplet‐like np‐Au through the selective dissolution of Au–Ge eutectic microstructures is explored. This work reveals that adjusting the undercooling of the eutectic melt during solidification allows for the tuning of pore and ligament sizes. It is demonstrated that this undercooling can be modified, either directly or indirectly, by adjusting either the cooling rate or the heterogeneous nucleation site density of the eutectic melt. The findings, aligned with the model based on classical theory for eutectic solidification, elucidate the connection between the tuning of pore and ligament sizes in the eutectic microstructure and the undercooling of the eutectic melt. Importantly, it is established that this phenomenon is applicable across a variety of compositions, including hypereutectic, eutectic, and hypoeutectic. The ability to regulate pore and ligament size in single crystals of np‐Au droplets offers a novel approach to synthesizing catalytic np‐Au crystals with enhanced mechanical and thermal stability compared to conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trends in the coupled stratosphere‐troposphere system during the 1979–2022 period are investigated in the Northern Hemisphere using reanalysis datasets. More upward planetary wave propagation in December is shown to precede the deceleration of the stratospheric polar vortex in January. This deceleration prevents the waves from continuing to propagate upward in February and favors an acceleration of the stratospheric polar vortex in March. This is associated with an increased Northern Hemisphere annular mode in March in the stratosphere and the troposphere. Trends show a moderate significance level because of strong interannual variability. Recent seasons whose anomalies project onto the trends are those for which wave‐1 anomaly constructively interferes with wave‐1 climatology in December, which occurs when there is warming in an area extending from Eastern Canada to Greenland and slight cooling over Eurasia. It shows the potential for predicting the springtime stratospheric polar vortex from wintertime wave‐1 anomalies. Plain Language Summary: In winter the stratosphere hosts strong westerly winds forming the stratospheric polar vortex. Variations in the vortex strength can affect weather patterns in the underlying troposphere. Vice‐versa, the stratospheric vortex can also be disrupted by tropospheric waves that propagate upwards into the stratosphere. Sea‐ice loss from Arctic warming is amongst the forcings that have been proposed to produce tropospheric waves leading to a weakening of the polar vortex. However, there is a strong dependence of the stratospheric signal on the region of sea ice loss. In the present study, we show that mid‐winter to early spring stratospheric trends during the 1979–2022 period are linked to large‐scale surface temperature trends in December. Specifically, strong warming from Eastern Canada to Greenland and relative cooling over Eurasia in December are associated with enhanced upward wave propagation and a deceleration of the stratospheric polar vortex in January. In mid‐winter a weaker than usual vortex inhibits wave propagation to the stratosphere, allowing for a recovery in vortex strength by March. In conclusion, our work shows how the opposite mid‐winter and early spring trends in the stratosphere can be connected with stronger wave propagation from the surface in December and with its time‐evolving effects on troposphere–stratosphere coupling. Key Points: January and March exhibit opposite trends in the stratospheric Northern Annular Mode (NAM) during 1979–2022The negative (positive) trend in the NAM in January (March) is explained by more (less) upward wave propagation in December (February)More upward wave propagation in December is linked to warming over Eastern Canada and cooling over Siberia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, which addresses the relationships between the meaning in life, sexual communication in adolescence and respect for sexual and gender diversity, is based on theories that suggest connections between the underlying constructs. The methodology employed uses microdata from the National Survey on Sexual and Gender Diversity ENDISEG 2021, conducted by INEGI in Mexico, which are analyzed through structural equation modeling. When the structural model was validated using the bootstrapping technique, the results showed that the estimate of the relationship between sense of life and sexual communication in adolescence was 0.642, indicating that this relationship is not statistically significant. Similarly, the relationship between respect for sexual and gender diversity and sexual communication in adolescence showed a value of 0.099, reflecting that this relationship is not statistically significant. In contrast, the relationship between sense of life and respect for sexual and gender diversity obtained a value of 0.000, showing the existence of an effect, that is, that the relationship is statistically significant. In conclusion, the tensions inherent in adolescence, as well as cultural and social factors, introduce important debates that need to be considered when addressing these phenomena. This complexity highlights the need for a holistic approach that distinguishes the diversity of experiences and contexts that influence adolescent development and impact on adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid‐latitude extreme cold outbreaks are associated with disruptions of the polar vortex, which often happen abruptly in connection to a sudden stratospheric warming. Understanding global warming (particularly Arctic amplification) impacts on forecasting such events is challenging for the scientific community. Here we apply clustering analysis on the Northern Annular Mode to identify surface precursors and the governing mechanisms causing polar vortex disruption events. Two clusters of vortex breakdown emerge; 65% of the events, mainly displacements, are associated with high‐latitude Ocean warming in the North Pacific and in Barents‐Kara Sea. Such warming may cause large scale modifications of the tropospheric flow that favors a slowdown of the stratospheric vortex. The persistence of Ocean surface temperature patterns favors polar vortex disruptions, potentially improving prediction skills at the sub‐seasonal to seasonal time scales. Plain Language Summary: Extreme winter weather is linked to cold arctic outbreaks when the polar air mass spills frigid air to mid‐latitudes. This phenomenon often follows weak polar vortex (in extreme cases a Sudden Stratospheric Warming) episodes. Forecasting such events is challenging as many climatic components can be involved. In this study, it is found that 65% of the events start with a certain surface air mass distribution (Low Pressure over the North Pacific, High Pressure over Eurasia). Such distribution is triggered by high latitude ocean warming corresponding to warm temperature anomalies in the North Pacific Ocean and Sea Ice loss in Barents‐Kara seas. This result helps predicting the probability of polar vortex disruptions in winter, potentially leading to enhanced sub‐seasonal to seasonal cold outbreaks forecast. Key Points: Around 65% of weak polar vortex (WPV) events are preceded by tropospheric pressure anomaliesHigh‐latitude ocean warming explains tropospheric air mass modification, which favors upward wave flux that disrupts the stratosphereProbabilistic forecast of WPV events is possible using an index of high‐latitude ocean warming [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: As an alternative to vegetables in their traditional stages of maturation, sprouts, and microgreens are increasing in popularity mainly due to the potential health benefit of the contents of bioactive compounds. This work aimed to evaluate and compare the nutritional profile and the bioactive compounds of arugula (Eruca sativa L.) sprouts and microgreens produced organically in a hydroponic system. Seeds were placed in phenolic foams and soaked in water for 48 h to promote germination according to the supplier's recommendation. Sown trays were placed on top of perforated polystyrene boards and irrigated using a nutrient solution. Seeded trays were kept in a controlled environment and were exposed to 12 h photoperiod. Sprouts were harvested after 7 days of germination, while the microgreens were harvested after 14. As a result, these vegetables showed a high protein content, with sprouts being statistically different from microgreens (24.8% sprouts; 18.2% microgreens), with an excellent content of total fibre (34.3% sprouts; 28.7% microgreens) and soluble fibre (11.5% sprouts; 6.7% microgreens). Regarding the bioactive compounds, the predominance of carotenoids zeaxanthin and β‐carotene in the sprouts (41.8 and 19.8 μg g−1, respectively) and the identification of more compounds as O‐glucosides derived from flavonoids in the microgreens were noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil spills in marine environments are common due to the intense flow of transport. One of the ways to reduce the effects caused by these spills is bioremediation. A biosurfactant produced by Acinetobacter venetianus AMO1502, a strain isolated from oil spilled off the Brazilian coast, was investigated as a bioremediation agent. The highest cell growth and biosurfactant production were obtained using a culture medium supplemented with NaCl. The biosurfactant had high emulsifying activity and reduced the surface tension of water by up to 41.7 %. This biomolecule showed high stability related to temperature, pH, and NaCl addition as petroderivate removal agent, reaching 25 % removal of the engine oil in sand and 12 % removal of the oil in an aqueous medium, also reducing oil stains adsorbed on contaminated stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crossbars of resistive memories, or memristors, provide a road to reduce the energy consumption of artificial neural networks, by naturally implementing multiply accumulate operations, their most basic calculations. However, a major challenge of implementing robust hardware neural networks is the conductance instability over time of resistive memories, due to the local recombination of oxygen vacancies. This effect causes resistive memory‐based neural networks to rapidly lose accuracy, an issue that is sometimes overlooked. Herein, this conductance instability issue is shown, which can be avoided without changing the material stack of the resistive memory by exploiting an original programming strategy. This technique relies on program‐and‐verify loops with appropriately chosen wait times and ensures that the resistive memories are programmed into states with stable filaments. To test the strategy, a 32 × 32 in‐memory computing system, fabricated in a hybrid complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS)/hafnium oxide technology, is programmed to classify heart arrhythmia from electrocardiogram. When the resistive memories are programmed conventionally, the system loses accuracy within hours. In contrast, when using this technique, the system maintains an accuracy of 95% over more than 2 months. These results highlight the potential of resistive memory for the implementation of low‐power neural networks with long‐term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single memristor crossbar arrays are a very promising approach to reduce the power consumption of deep learning accelerators. In parallel, the emerging bio‐inspired spiking neural networks (SNNs) offer very low power consumption with satisfactory performance on complex artificial intelligence tasks. In such neural networks, synaptic weights can be stored in nonvolatile memories. The latter are massively read during inference, which can lead to device failure. In this context, a 1S1R (1 Selector 1 Resistor) device composed of a HfO2‐based OxRAM memory stacked on a Ge‐Se‐Sb‐N‐based ovonic threshold switch (OTS) back‐end selector is proposed for high‐density binarized SNNs (BSNNs) synaptic weight hardware implementation. An extensive experimental statistical study combined with a novel Monte Carlo model allows to deeply analyze the OTS switching dynamics based on field‐driven stochastic nucleation of conductive dots in the layer. This allows quantifying the occurrence frequency of OTS erratic switching as a function of the applied voltages and 1S1R reading frequency. The associated 1S1R reading error rate is calculated. Focusing on the standard machine learning MNIST image recognition task, BSNN figures of merit (footprint, electrical consumption during inference, frequency of inference, accuracy, and tolerance to errors) are optimized by engineering the network topology, training procedure, and activations sparsity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires residents to participate in scholarship and requires residency programs to provide an environment within which residents can acquire skills related to scholarly activities. However, consensus on the definition of scholarship and structure of program environments does not yet exist. We designed and implemented a content expert program (CEP) in 2015, in which each resident worked with a faculty advisor to develop a longitudinal scholarly activity linked to a core area of practice and, in doing so, became the department's "content expert." We hypothesized that the CEP would significantly increase the number of scholarly outputs per resident. Methods: The CEP was structured around an oversight committee composed of key faculty members, which guided development of CEP projects through regular meetings and formative feedback. Each resident generated one or more scholarly outputs from their content area. Outputs were categorized into educational, operational, research, and miscellaneous domains and further identified as intradepartmental, interdepartmental, or interdisciplinary collaborations. The number of outputs was compared to the baseline number of scholarly activities per resident at the study program using a Mann–Whitney U test. Results: A total of 187 scholarly outputs were generated by 76 residents, which equated to 31.2 outputs per year, or 2.5 outputs per resident. This was a significant increase compared to the program baseline of one output per resident (p = 0.003). Eighteen distinct types of outputs spanned four major categories. Of the outputs, 37 were interdepartmental, 42 were interdisciplinary, and 32 were intradepartmental. Conclusions: The CEP proved to be a sustainable way to significantly increase scholarly activity and additionally improved collaborative efforts. With the appropriate structure and willing faculty in place, such a program can enhance the practical education provided by residency programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Electrical stimulation of skin afferents can induce somatosensory plasticity in humans. Nevertheless, it is unknown if this is possible to do through percutaneous stimulation of a peripheral nerve, which will allow for regional anaesthesia interventions. Furthermore, potentiation protocols applied over mainly non‐nociceptive fibres inhibit nociception in rodents, but this has not been tested in humans. Objective: To determine whether a protocol aiming to depress the nociceptive circuit and another aiming to potentiate non‐nociceptive circuits produce regional hypoalgesia and changes in motor function, applied through percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (pPNS), and to assess which of them is more promising for pain relief, immediately and 24 h after the intervention. Methods: PT‐cLF protocol aims to depress the nociceptive pathway through Pain Threshold, continuous Low Frequency stimulation and ST‐bHF aims to produce potentiation of the non‐nociceptive pathway, through Sensory Threshold burst stimulation at High Frequency. All subjects (n = 29) went through both protocols and a control condition in a randomized and blinded crossover design. Results: Compared to control, ST‐bHF induced distal hypoalgesia, towards electrical (p = 0.04) and mechanical stimuli (p = 0.02) and produced mechanical hypoesthesia (p = 0.02). Contrarily, hypoalgesia was not observed after PT‐cLF (p > 0.05) but increased electrical motor threshold (p = 0.04), reduced motor recruitment (p = 0.03), and the subjects reported feeling reduced strength (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This works provides evidence that is possible to induce antinociceptive plasticity in a wide territory using pPNS. Moreover, it demonstrates for the first time in humans that a protocol aiming to produce long‐term potentiation applied predominantly over non‐nociceptive afferents induces hypoesthesia and hypoalgesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to assess if an interference effect could blunt the neuromuscular gains induced by a same‐session combined rehabilitation in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: Patients exercised twice a week, for 16 weeks, over their HD sessions. They were either always trained with resistance and endurance exercises (continuous training, "CONT") or alternatively with 1 week of resistance alternated with 1 week of endurance (discontinuous training, "DISC"). Adherence and workload were continuously recorded. Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score, one‐leg balance test, and handgrip and quadriceps strength were evaluated before and after training intervention. Results: Adherence to both programs was high (>90%). SPPB score had significantly improved (CONT: +1.5 point, DISC: +1.2 pt, p < 0.001), like one‐leg balance test (CONT: +3.7 s, DISC: +5.5 s, p < 0.05), handgrip strength of exercised (CONT: +5.5 kg, DISC: +5.6 kg, p < 0.001) and of nonexercised arm (CONT: +4.4 kg, DISC: +2.8 kg, p < 0.01) as well as maximal quadriceps strength (+22 N·m for dominant and +29 N·m for nondominant leg in both groups, p < 0.001) bearing no difference between the trainings. Conclusion: Same‐session combined training does not induce an interference effect in HD patients and temporal separation of exercises does not optimize strength gains. These practical data may be relevant for clinicians and practitioners to alternate endurance and resistance exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oscillation between the promise and the disappointment of biobanks as techno‐scientific infrastructures for contemporary biomedical research is frequent in the literature. In this article, we analysed how the precariousness of biobanks is leading to shifts in the focus of biobanking in Spain, where there are calls for some practices to be rearticulated. Drawing upon fieldwork and interviews with biobankers, we looked at which practices are highlighted for change to make biobanks worth maintaining and keep them afloat. We analysed these practices to unpack the values biobankers deploy to make sense of biobanking and turn it into two worthiness criteria: social return and dynamism. These criteria are intertwined and revolve around ethically calibrating the accumulation and sharing practices, 'sharing but not too much'. The porosity of biobanking practices and legislation, not to mention over a decade of austerity measures make biobanks fragile scientific infrastructures in Spain. We examine how biobanking practices are shifting in Spain to stay in the precarious techno‐scientific present while challenging assumptions on cryopreservation and preparedness. Our local account highlights the relevance of further inquiries on shifts in biobanking to attend to which kinds of biomedical research and knowledge might be coproduced by such infrastructural reconfigurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Non‐infectious pneumonitis (NIP) is a common complication of treatments for lung cancer. We know of no existing validated algorithm for identifying NIP in claims databases, limiting our ability to understand the morbidity and mortality of this toxicity in real‐world data. Methods: Electronic health records (EHR), cancer registry, and administrative data from a National Cancer Institute‐designated comprehensive cancer center were queried for patients diagnosed with lung cancer between 10/01/2015–12/31/2020. Health insurance claims were searched for ICD‐10‐CM codes that indicate an inpatient or outpatient diagnosis with possible NIP. A 20‐code (Algorithm A) and 11‐code (Algorithm B) algorithm were tested with and without requiring prescription with corticosteroids. Cases with a diagnosis of possible NIP in the 6 months before their first lung cancer diagnosis were excluded. The algorithms were validated by reviewing the EHR. The positive predictive value (PPV) for each algorithm was computed with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Seventy patients with lung cancer had a diagnosis code compatible with NIP: 36 (51.4%) inpatients and 34 (48.6%) outpatients. The PPV of Algorithm A was 77.1% (95% CI: 65.6–86.3). The PPV of Algorithm B was 86.9% (95% CI: 75.8–94.2). Requiring a documented prescription for a systemic corticosteroid improved the PPV of both Algorithm A and Algorithm B: 92.5% (95% CI: 79.6–98.4) and 100.0% (95% CI: 90.0–100.0), respectively. Conclusions: This study validated ICD‐10‐CM and prescription‐claims‐based definitions of NIP in lung cancer patients. All algorithms have at least reasonable performance. Enriching the algorithm with corticosteroid prescription records results in excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent research project investigating the structural safety of self‐supporting glass components aims to contribute to the development of future guidelines for architectural glazing applications. A specific task within the project was concerned with extending the current knowledge about the effect of impact loading and related testing methods regarding the safety of glass structures. The method described in the paper combines high‐speed 3D‐DIC and FEA to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic structural response of self‐supporting glass balustrade components, which in turn can enhance product development and user safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malnutrition in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients is more prevalent during times of exacerbation. Fat‐free mass index (FFMI), calf circumference (CC), and adductor muscle pollicis thickness (AMPT) can be used to identify reduced muscle mass and have been found to be good predictors of clinical outcomes in other conditions, but they have not been investigated in COPD. Therefore, this study evaluated low muscle mass as predictor of malnutrition, prolonged length of stay (LOS), and in‐hospital death in COPD patients. Methods: This prospective cohort study was carried out in hospitalized patients with COPD exacerbation. Malnutrition diagnosis was performed by Subjective Global Assessment, and muscle mass was assessed by FFMI, calculated using fat‐free mass from bioelectrical impedance, CC, and AMPT. Clinical outcomes (LOS and in‐hospital death) were collected from records. Results: One hundred seventy‐six patients were included (68.2 ± 10.4 years old, 56.2% women); 74.2% were classified as Global Initiative of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2 or 3 and 58.2% as malnourished. The median LOS was 11 (7–19) days, and the incidence of death was 9.1%. Low FFMI and CC predicted malnutrition (low CC: odds ratio [OR], 4.6; 95% CI, 2.2–9.7 and low FFMI: OR, 8.8; 95% CI, 3.7–20.8) and were associated with prolonged LOS (low CC: OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1–4.6 and low FFMI: OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3–4.8). Conclusion: Simple, inexpensive, and noninvasive parameters of muscle mass—FFMI and CC—are good predictors of malnutrition and prolonged LOS in COPD patients experiencing exacerbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malnourished patients present impairment of functionality due to loss of strength and muscle mass. However, the validity of handgrip strength (HGS) in identifying malnutrition and its association with clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients requires investigation. Aims: Evaluate the accuracy of HGS in identifying malnutrition, its association with clinical outcomes, and the change in HGS in the first 2 weeks of hospitalization. Methods: A prospective cohort study with adult/elderly patients. Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) was applied in the first 48 hours for malnutrition diagnosis, and HGS was measured in this moment and after 7 and 14 days of hospital admission. HGS <20 kg for females and <30 kg for males was considered reduced. Outcomes of interest were prolonged hospital stay (LOS) and in‐hospital death. Results: Six hundred patients (55.75 ± 14.78 years, 51.5% males) were included, 34.0% of them were malnourished (SGA‐B or SGA‐C), and 37.2% presented reduced HGS. The concordance between reduced HGS and SGA in malnutrition diagnosis was weak (κ = 0.192), and accuracy was not satisfactory (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.599 [95% CI, 0.551–0.648]). HGS did not change during the hospitalization. Reduced HGS increased by 1.2 times (95% CI, 1.03–1.40) the odds for prolonged LOS and 9.11 times (95% CI, 1.13–73.60) the risk of death. Conclusion: Reduced HGS did not present satisfactory accuracy to identify malnutrition, and HGS did not change during the first 14 days of hospitalization, but was associated with prolonged LOS and in‐hospital death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) is the reference method to identify hospital malnutrition. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (AND‐ASPEN) proposed a more objective consensus, but studies regarding its validity are still scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the concurrent and predictive validity of the AND‐ASPEN Consensus. Methods: Prospective cohort conducted with hospitalized adult and elderly patients. At admission, general data were collected and patients were evaluated by SGA and AND‐ASPEN with and without handgrip strength (HGS) for nutrition diagnoses. Patients were followed up for collection of outcomes—length of hospital stay (LOS), in‐hospital death, readmission, and mortality within 6 months after being discharged. Concurrent and predictive validity were tested. Results: Six hundred patients (55.7 ± 14.8 years, 51.3% males) were evaluated. The median of LOS was 10.0 (5.018.0) days and in‐hospital mortality was 2.7%. SGA identified 34.0% and AND‐ASPEN 34.6% of patients as malnourished. AND‐ASPEN had substantial agreement with SGA (κ = 0.690) and satisfactory accuracy (AUC = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.810.88). Malnutrition defined by AND‐ASPEN predicted about 1.4 times higher risk of prolonged LOS (95% CI, 1.2–1.6) and hospital readmission (95% CI, 1.2–1.8), besides 5.0 times higher risk of hospital death (95% CI, 1.3–18.8) and 6 months' death (95% CI, 2.6–9.9), in an adjusted analysis. The validity of AND‐ASPEN without HGS was also satisfactory. Conclusion: AND‐ASPEN can be used for malnutrition diagnoses, even without HGS because it has satisfactory concurrent and predictive validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In a previous study, we showed that the obstetric complication rate after in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy was 40%. The main objective of our study was to determine maternal prognosis factors that influence the IVF pregnancy outcome. Methods: We conducted an observational retrospective monocentric study between January 2014 and January 2018. Pregnancy over 22 gestational weeks (GW) obtained after IVF in our infertility clinic was included. Maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcome were collected. Results: Data from 498 IVF pregnancies were analyzed. The most significant maternal prognosis factors for obstetric complications were maternal age above 40 years (OR 3,0 [95% IC 1,30‐7,09], P = 0,010), twin pregnancies (3.8 [95% IC 1.49‐9.99], P =.005), daily maternal smoking above 10 cigarettes (7.1 [95% IC 1.22‐41.74], P =.029), maternal obesity (2.2 [95% IC 1.19‐4.07], P =.012), endometriosis stages III and IV (6.4 [95% IC 1.52‐27.04], P =.011), and history of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in early pregnancy (5.7 [95% IC 1.29‐24.74], P =.021). Risk increase was independent of pregnancy type (singleton or twin) and allowed the elaboration of 2 nomograms. Conclusions: Our study showed a link between some maternal factors and increase in obstetric complications after IVF. Screening of these factors during preconceptional visit is essential to identify at high‐risk pregnancies and adapt their monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic oxidation of CO on transition metals, such as Pt, is commonly viewed as a sharp transition from the CO‐inhibited surface to the active metal, covered with O. However, we find that minor amounts of O are present in the CO‐poisoned layer that explain why, surprisingly, CO desorbs at stepped and flat Pt crystal planes at once, regardless of the reaction conditions. Using near‐ambient pressure X‐ray photoemission and a curved Pt(111) crystal we probe the chemical composition at surfaces with variable step density during the CO oxidation reaction. Analysis of C and O core levels across the curved crystal reveals that, right before light‐off, subsurface O builds up within (111) terraces. This is key to trigger the simultaneous ignition of the catalytic reaction at different Pt surfaces: a CO‐Pt‐O complex is formed that equals the CO chemisorption energy at terraces and steps, leading to the abrupt desorption of poisoning CO from all crystal facets at the same temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed to assess the effect of a healthy diet, enriched or not with pecan nuts or extra‐virgin olive oil, on the lipid profile of patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: This was a randomised clinical trial conducted for 12 weeks with patients aged between 40 and 80 years with stable CAD for more than 60 days. Individuals were randomised into groups [control group (CG) with 67 patients, pecan nut group (PNG) with 68 patients and olive oil group (OOG) with 69 patients]. The CG was prescribed a healthy diet according to the nutritional guidelines; the PNG was prescribed the same healthy diet plus 30 g day−1 of pecan nuts; and the OOG was prescribed a healthy diet plus 30 mL day−1 of extra‐virgin olive oil. Results: In total, 204 subjects were submitted to an intention‐to‐treat analysis. After adjustment for baseline values and type of statin used, there was no difference regarding low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐cholesterol (primary outcome), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL)‐cholesterol, LDL‐cholesterol/HDL‐cholesterol ratio and HDL‐cholesterol/triglycerides ratio according to groups. However, the PNG exhibited a significant reduction in non‐HDL‐cholesterol levels [PNG: 114.9 (31) mg dL−1; CG: 127 (33.6) mg dL−1; OOG: 126.6 (37.4) mg dL−1; P = 0.033] and in the total cholesterol/HDL‐cholesterol ratio [PNG: 3.7 (0.7); CG: 4.0 (0.8); OOG: 4.0 (0.8); P = 0.044] compared to the CG and OOG. Conclusions: Supplementing a healthy diet with 30 g day−1 of pecan nuts for 12 weeks did not improve LDL‐cholesterol levels but may improve other lipid profile markers in patients with stable CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Astroglial connexins (Cxs) 30 and 43 are engaged in gap junction and hemichannel activities. Evidence suggests that these functional entities contribute to regulating neurotransmission, thereby influencing brain functions. In particular, preclinical and clinical findings highlight a role of Cx43 in animal models of depression. However, the role of these proteins in response to currently available psychotropic drugs is still unknown. Methods: To investigate this, we evaluated the behavioural effects of the genetic and pharmacological inactivation of Cx43 on the antidepressant‐ and anxiolytic‐like activities of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine and the benzodiazepine diazepam, respectively. Results: A single administration of fluoxetine (18 mg/kg; i.p.) produced a higher increase in hippocampal extracellular serotonin levels, and a greater antidepressant‐like effect in the tail suspension test in Cx43 knock‐down (KD) mice bred on a C57BL/6 background compared to their wild‐type littermates. Similarly, in outbred Swiss wild‐type mice, the intra‐hippocampal injection of a shRNA‐Cx43 or the acute systemic injection of the Cxs inhibitor carbenoxolone (CBX: 10 mg/kg; i.p.) potentiated the antidepressant‐like effects of fluoxetine. Evaluating the effects of such strategies on diazepam (0.5 mg/kg; i.p.), the results indicate that Cx43 KD mice or wild‐types injected with a shRNA‐Cx43 in the amygdala, but not in the hippocampus, attenuated the anxiolytic‐like effects of this benzodiazepine in the elevated plus maze. The chronic systemic administration of CBX mimicked the latter observations. Conclusion: Collectively, these data pave the way to the development of potentiating strategies in the field of psychiatry based on the modulation of astroglial Cx43. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the percentage of women with untreated fasting hyperglycaemia in early pregnancy who develop gestational diabetes mellitus after 22 weeks' gestation, the determinants of gestational diabetes development in such women and the prognosis of early fasting hyperglycaemia according to whether the women go on to develop gestational diabetes. Methods: From a large cohort of women who delivered in our hospital between 2012 and 2016, we retrospectively selected all those who had untreated early fasting hyperglycaemia and separated them into a 'gestational diabetes' and a 'no‐gestational diabetes' group according to oral glucose tolerance test results after 22 weeks' gestation. We compared the incidence of a predefined composite outcome (preeclampsia or large‐for‐gestational‐age infant or shoulder dystocia or neonatal hypoglycaemia) in both groups. Results: A total of 268 women (mean fasting plasma glucose 5.3 ± 0.3 mmol/l at a mean ± sd of 10.2 ± 4.2 weeks' gestation) were included. Gestational diabetes developed in 134 women and was independently associated with early fasting plasma glucose ≥ 5.5 mmol/l [odds ratio 3.16 (95% CI 1.57, 6.33)], age ≥ 30 years [odds ratio 2.78 (95% CI 1.46, 5.31)], preconception obesity [odds ratio 2.12 (95% CI 1.11, 4.02)], family history of diabetes [odds ratio 1.87 (95% CI 1.00, 3.50)] and current employment [odds ratio 0.46 (95% CI 0.26, 0.83)]. Despite treatment, gestational diabetes induced a significant increase in the composite outcome as compared to no gestational diabetes (odds ratio 2.16 [95% CI 1.08, 4.34]). The association disappeared after adjustment for risk factors. Conclusions: Only half of the women with early fasting hyperglycaemia and no specific care subsequently developed gestational diabetes, and these women had a poor prognosis despite gestational diabetes treatment. Poor prognosis was mostly attributable to risk factors. Our results suggest that only women with certain risk factors should be screened for early fasting hyperglycaemia. What's new?: Guidelines recommend treatment of women with fasting plasma glucose levels ≥5.1 mmol/l during early pregnancy immediately after diagnosis; however approximately half of untreated women do not develop gestational diabetes mellitus after 24 weeks' gestation.Women with untreated early fasting hyperglycaemia have more risk factors and adverse outcomes if they develop gestational diabetes after 22 weeks' gestation (50%), and this occurs despite subsequent treatment.Only women with risk factors should be screened for early fasting hyperglycaemia during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Recruitment of monocytes and low-grade inflammation process are both involved in obesity and in atherosclerosis. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation among indicators of adiposity, monocyte subtypes, and inflammatory markers in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods. This was a cross-sectional study including 97 patients with stable CAD aged >40 years. Traditional anthropometric indicators of adiposity (body mass index (BMI); waist, hip, and neck circumferences; and waist-hip ratio) and nontraditional anthropometric indicators of adiposity (lipid accumulation product index (LAP), visceral adiposity index (VAI), and deep-abdominal-adipose-tissue index (DAAT)) were determined. Immunoprecipitation, turbidimetry, coagulometric method, and CBA were used for the evaluation of inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and INF-γ). Monocyte subtypes were identified by flow cytometry and defined as CD14++ CD16− (Mon1), CD14++ CD16+ (Mon2), and CD14+ CD16++ (Mon3). Pearson's correlation coefficient and adjusted partial correlation were calculated. Results. Monocyte subtypes were correlated with inflammation regardless of nutritional status according to BMI. In overweight individuals, LAP was correlated with IL-4 and fibrinogen (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) and VAI with IL-4 (P<0.05). In obese patients, the BMI, waist, neck, and hip circumferences, and DAAT were correlated with IL-6 (P<0.05), regardless of age and sex. The hip circumference was correlated positively with Mon1 (r = 0.40, P=0.007) and negatively with Mon3 (r = −0.35, P=0.02) in obese subjects. Conclusion. Monocyte subtypes are correlated with inflammation in patients with stable CAD independently of BMI, whereas traditional and nontraditional indicators of adiposity are correlated differently with inflammatory markers and monocytes, according to the nutritional status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential involvement of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as a risk factor for colon cancer (CC) has been previously reported. While several clinical studies show a higher incidence of CC and a lower survival rate in diabetics, others report no association. Our own experience indicates that diabetes does not seem to worsen the prognosis once the tumor is present. Despite this controversy, there are no wide‐spectrum molecular studies that delve into the impact of T2DM‐related mechanisms in colon carcinogenesis. Here, we present a transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of paired tumor and normal colon mucosa samples in a cohort of 42 CC patients, 23 of which have T2DM. We used gene set enrichment and network approaches to extract relevant pathways in diabetics, referenced them to current knowledge, and tested them using in vitro techniques. Through our transcriptomics approach, we identified an unexpected overlap of pathways overrepresented in diabetics compared to nondiabetics, in both tumor and normal mucosa, including diabetes‐related metabolic and signaling processes. Proteomic approaches highlighted several cancer‐related signaling routes in diabetics found only in normal mucosa, not in tumors. An integration of the transcriptome and proteome analyses suggested the deregulation of key pathways related to colon carcinogenesis which converged on tumor initiation axis TEAD/YAP‐TAZ as a potential initiator of the process. In vitro studies confirmed upregulation of this pathway in nontumor colon cells under high‐glucose conditions. In conclusion, T2DM associates with deregulation of cancer‐related processes in normal colon mucosa adjacent to tissue which has undergone a malignant transformation. These data support that in diabetic patients, the local microenvironment in normal colon mucosa may be a factor driving field cancerization promoting carcinogenesis. Our results set a new framework to study links between diabetes and colon cancer, including a new role of the TEAD/YAP‐TAZ complex as a potential driver. We present here for the first time molecular evidence of the impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus driving field cancerization in colon cancer. We integrated transcriptomic and proteomic screening of tumor and normal colon mucosa samples and thereby identified key pathways activated by diabetes related to carcinogenesis which converged on tumor initiation axis TEAD/YAP‐TAZ as a potential initiator of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enteric adenovirus (AdV), sapovirus (SaV), and human astrovirus (HAstV) are important pathogens involved in the gastroenteritis etiology. In this study, a total of 219 fecal samples and sera were collected from children hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in two large pediatric hospitals in Belém, from March 2012 to April 2015. The samples were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for AdV and HAstV (astrovirus) detection, and Nested‐PCR and qPCR for SaV detection. AdV was detected in 50.2% (110/219) of the cases, with 42.7% (47/110) being sequenced and classified as: species F (63.9% – 30/47), A (4.2% – 2/47), B (6.4% – 3/47), C (17.1% – 8/47), D (4.2% – 2/47), and E (4.2% – 2/47). Of the 110 AdV‐positive feces samples, 80 paired sera presented sufficient amounts and were also tested for this virus, of which 51 (63.7%) showed positive results and 26 (70.3%) pairs (feces plus sera) presented concordant results after sequencing being classified as: species F (21/26; 80.8%), A (1/26; 3.8%), B (1/26; 3.8%), and C (3/26; 11.5%). Overall, HAstV rate in the feces samples was 1.8% (4/219), including both HAstV‐1a (2/4; 50%) and HAstV‐2c (2/4; 50%). SaV was detected in 4.6% (10/219) of the fecal samples, out of which 50% (5/10) of the positive samples were characterized into the genogroups GI.1 (1), GI.2 (2), and GII.4 (2). These findings highlighted the important contributions of AdV, HAstV, and SaV in the enteric virus spectrum in our region and showed the high genetic diversity of AdV. In addition, it demonstrated for the first time in Brazil, the circulation of AdV in the serum of hospitalized children with AGE. 1.Detection of enteric adenoviruses in samples of blood and feces of children.2.First detection of adenovirus viremia in blood of children hospitalized for gastroenteritis.3.Detection of adenovirus types F40/41 in blood and fecal samples.4.Genetic diversity of adenovirus in serum and fecal samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchard and garden papaya crops grown in 47 Cuban municipalities were surveyed from 2008 to 2013, revealing the widespread distribution of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) in Cuba. Phylodynamic analyses performed with the partial coat protein gene of all Cuban PRSV‐P isolates (34 sequences) and 107 sequences of isolates from the American continent and the Caribbean islands showed a most recent common ancestor in 1942 (95% highest posterior density, HPD 95% = 1911–1967). The substitution rate was estimated to be 7.7 × 10−4 substitutions per site per year (HPD 95% = 4.6 × 10−4 to 1.1 × 10−3), which is equivalent to those detected in other RNA viruses. Demographic reconstruction of PRSV showed that viral diversity increased in the 1985–1990 period, which coincides with the implementation of extensive production practices. Moreover in Cuba, viral dispersion occurred from Mexico and other unknown ancestral locations. The spatiotemporal diffusion analysis proposed Mexico as an ancestral area for the origin of diversification in the American continent and suggests new dispersion events between American and Caribbean isolates. The observed widespread distribution, clear geographic grouping of Cuban isolates, virus growth and genetic diversity provide strong evidence of the PRSV dispersion patterns, which has implications for the control strategies of PRSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Background & Aims: Early TIPS placement must be considered in patients with Child‐Pugh B and active bleeding at endoscopy or in patients with Child‐Pugh C 10‐13 and variceal bleeding. However, active bleeding at endoscopy is a subjective criterion. Moreover, a previous study has shown that a MELD‐based score accurately predicted 6‐week mortality and helped to stratify patients. Using a prospective series of patients included in a multicentre study before the era of early TIPS, we aimed (i) to identify factors associated with 6‐week mortality, focusing on the prognostic value of active bleeding; and (ii) to assess whether a recalibrated MELD‐based score accurately predicted 6‐week mortality. Methods: Ancillary study of the prospective multicentre Baveno IV study, including patients with acute variceal bleeding. Results: Two hundred and nineteen patients were analysed (Child‐Pugh A/B/C = 18/45/37%). The overall actuarial likelihood of survival on day 42 was 84%. The variability for the diagnosis of active bleeding at endoscopy was high (range, 41.4% to 84.6% among the centres). Active bleeding at endoscopy was not associated with 6‐week mortality in the entire population or in Child‐Pugh B patients. In a multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with mortality were liver function, infection, HE and HCC. The recalibrated MELD‐based score was accurate in predicting 6‐week mortality (AUROC = 0.787). The recalibrated MELD‐based score demonstrated better performance compared to the MELD score. Conclusion: The recalibrated MELD‐based score accurately predicted mortality in our prospective cohort. Active bleeding at endoscopy had no prognostic value in cirrhotic patients presenting with acute variceal bleeding. Standardizing active bleeding assessment at endoscopy is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: In Brazil, more than 487,450 individuals are currently undergoing antiretroviral treatment. In order to monitor the transmission of drug‐resistant strains and HIV subtype distribution in the country, this work aimed to estimate its prevalence and to characterize the nationwide pretreatment drug resistance in individuals recently diagnosed with HIV between 2013 and 2015. Methods: The HIV threshold survey methodology (HIV‐THS, WHO) targeting antiretroviral‐naive individuals with recent HIV diagnosis was utilized, and subjects were selected from 51 highly populated cities in all five Brazilian macroregions. The HIV pol genotypic test was performed by genomic sequencing. Results: We analysed samples from 1568 antiretroviral‐naive individuals recently diagnosed with HIV, and the overall transmitted drug resistance (TDR) prevalence was 9.5% (150 sequences). The regional prevalence of resistance according to Brazilian geographical regions was 9.4% in the northeast, 11.2% in the southeast, 6.8% in the central region, 10.2% in the north and 8.8% in the south. The inhibitor‐specific TDR prevalence was 3.6% for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), 5.8% for non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and 1.6% for protease inhibitors (PIs); 1.0% of individuals presented resistance to more than one class of inhibitors. Overall, subtype B was more prevalent in every region except for the southern, where subtype C prevails. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first TDR study conducted in Brazil with nationwide representative sampling. The TDR prevalence revealed a moderate rate in the five Brazilian geographical regions, although some cities presented higher TDR prevalence rates, reaching 14% in São Paulo, for example. These results further illustrate the importance of surveillance studies for designing future strategies in primary antiretroviral therapy, aiming to mitigate TDR, as well as for predicting future trends in other regions of the globe where mass antiretroviral (ARV) treatment was implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are among the most important crops in the world providing staple food for hundreds of millions of people. However, banana production has been devastated by fungal infestations caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). Despite the fact that there is very little known on the role of microbial metabolites in the molecular mechanism of Foc infections, it has been proposed that the toxins fusaric acid and beauvericin produced by Foc play an important role during pathogenesis. The aim of this contribution was to study the toxic components of culture filtrates (CF) of Foc and to isolate the extracellular microbial metabolites involved in the plant response. An in vitro bioassay was used to evaluate the production of phytotoxic metabolites as well as the specificity of culture from a strain of Foc belonging to VCG 01210 (race 1). A host‐specific CF was obtained and the phytotoxic compounds characterized as fusaric acid, beauvericin and fumonisin B1. Despite the presence of these nonspecific toxins, a water‐soluble extract from the CF induced protection to the main phytotoxic fraction, measured by lesion area. This hydrophilic fraction induced a fast and strong response of just jasmonic acid (JA)‐dependent defence genes rather than salicylic acid (SA)‐ and ethylene (ET)‐response genes in resistant cultivars. Extracellular proteins isolated from CF of Foc provide an important source for further investigations on the molecular basis of the interaction between Foc and banana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate, complete and sustainable methods of tracking patients and outcomes in low-resource settings are imperative as we launch efforts to improve surgical care globally. The Surgical services QUality Assessment Database (SQUAD) at the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda is one of very few electronic surgical databases in a low-resource setting. We evaluated the completeness and accuracy of SQUAD. Methods: Data were prospectively collected on 20 of the most clinically relevant variables captured by SQUAD for all general surgery patients admitted to MRRH over a two-week period. Patients were followed until discharge, death or hospital day 30; whichever occurred first. These data were compared to that in SQUAD for the same time period for completeness and accuracy. Results: Of 186 unique patients seen over the two-week period, 172 (92.5%) were captured by SQUAD. The capture rate was greater than 86% for each of the 20 variables evaluated, except American Society of Anesthesiologists score, which had a 69% capture rate. Regarding accuracy, there was almost perfect agreement for 16/20 variables (all k > 0.81), substantial agreement for 2/20 variables ( k 0.63, 0.73) and moderate agreement for the remaining 2/20 variables ( k 0.43, 0.48) between SQUAD and the prospectively collected data. Conclusion: SQUAD is an electronic surgical database that has been implemented and sustained in a low-resource setting. For the 20 variables evaluated, the data within SQUAD are highly complete and accurate. This database may serve as a model for the development of additional surgical databases in low-resource environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The SCAL linker, a safety catch linker, is amongst the most versatile linkers for solid phase synthesis. It was originally described in 1991 by Pátek and Lebl. Yet, its application has been hindered by the low yields of published synthetic routes. Over time, the exceptional versatility of this linker has been demonstrated in several applications of advanced solid phase synthesis of peptides and peptidomimetics. Recently, an updated synthesis of the original linker has also been presented at the 22nd American Peptide Symposium, comprising 10 steps. Herein, the design and synthesis of a next generation SCAL linker, SCAL‐2, is reported. SCAL‐2 features a simplified molecular architecture, which allows for a more efficient synthesis in 8 steps with superior yields. Both linkers, SCAL and SCAL‐2 are compared in terms of their cleavage properties adding valuable information on how to best utilize the versatility of these linkers for solid phase synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative damage is an important contributor to the morphological and functional changes in osteoporotic bone. Aging increases the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause oxidative stress and induce osteoblast apoptosis. ROS modify several signaling responses, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, related to cell survival. Both parathyroid hormone (PTH) and its bone counterpart, PTH-related protein (PTHrP), can regulate MAPK activation by modulating MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP1). Thus, we hypothesized that PTHrP might protect osteoblasts from ROS-induced apoptosis by targeting MKP1. In osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 and MG-63 cells, H2O2 triggered p38, JNK, ERK and p66Shc phosphorylation, and cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, PTHrP (1-37) rapidly but transiently increased ERK and Akt phosphorylation without affecting p38, JNK, or p66Shc activation. H2O2-induced p38 and ERK phosphorylation and apoptosis were both decreased by pre-treatment with specific kinase inhibitors or PTHrP (1-37) in both osteoblastic cell types. These dephosphorylating and prosurvival actions of PTHrP (1-37) were prevented by a phosphatase inhibitor cocktail, the phosphatase MKP1 inhibitor sanguinarine or a MKP1 siRNA. PTHrP (1-37) promptly enhanced MKP1 protein and gene expression and MKP1-dependent catalase activity in osteoblastic cells. Furthermore, exposure to PTHrP (1-37) adsorbed in an implanted hydroxyapatite-based ceramic into a tibial defect in aging rats increased MKP1 and catalase gene expression in the healing bone area. Our findings demonstrate that PTHrP counteracts the pro-apoptotic actions of ROS by a mechanism dependent on MKP1-induced dephosphorylation of MAPKs in osteoblasts. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 785-796, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Current data suggest that parathyroid hormone (PTH)-related peptide (PTHrP) domains other than the N-terminal PTH-like domain contribute to its role as an endogenous bone anabolic factor. PTHrP-107-139 inhibits bone resorption, a fact which has precluded an unequivocal demonstration of its possible anabolic action in vivo. We thus sought to characterize the osteogenic effects of this peptide using a mouse model of diabetic low-turnover osteopaenia.Experimental Approach: PTHrP-107-139 was administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, with or without bone marrow ablation, for 13 days. Osteopaenia was confirmed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and microcomputed tomography analysis. Histological analysis was performed on paraffin-embedded bone tissue sections by haematoxylin/eosin and Masson's staining, and tartrate-resistent acid phosphatase immunohistochemistry. Mouse bone marrow stromal cells and osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in normal and/or high glucose (HG) medium. Osteogenic and adipogenic markers were assessed by real-time PCR, and PTHrP and the PTH(1) receptor protein expression by Western blot analysis.Key Results: PTHrP-107-139 reversed the alterations in bone structure and osteoblast function, and also promoted bone healing after marrow ablation without affecting the number of osteoclast-like cells in diabetic mice. This peptide also reversed the high-glucose-induced changes in osteogenic differentiation in both bone marrow stromal cells and the more differentiated MC3T3-E1 cells.Conclusions and Implications: These findings demonstrate that PTHrP-107-139 promotes bone formation in diabetic mice. This mouse model and in vitro cell cultures allowed us to identify various anabolic effects of this peptide in this scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and aging are associated with bone fragility and increased fracture risk. Both (1-37) N- and (107-111) C-terminal parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) exhibit osteogenic properties. We here aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of either PTHrP (1-37) or PTHrP (107-111) loaded into gelatin-glutaraldehyde-coated hydroxyapatite (HA-Gel) foams to improve bone repair of a transcortical tibial defect in aging rats with or without DM, induced by streptozotocin injection at birth. Diabetic old rats showed bone structural deterioration compared to their age-matched controls. Histological and μ-computerized tomography studies showed incomplete bone repair at 4 weeks after implantation of unloaded Ha-Gel foams in the transcortical tibial defects, mainly in old rats with DM. However, enhanced defect healing, as shown by an increase of bone volume/tissue volume and trabecular and cortical thickness and decreased trabecular separation, occurred in the presence of either PTHrP peptide in the implants in old rats with or without DM. This was accompanied by newly formed bone tissue around the osteointegrated HA-Gel implant and increased gene expression of osteocalcin and vascular endothelial growth factor (bone formation and angiogenic markers, respectively), and decreased expression of Sost gene, a negative regulator of bone formation, in the healing bone area. Our findings suggest that local delivery of PTHrP (1-37) or PTHrP (107-111) from a degradable implant is an attractive strategy to improve bone regeneration in aged and diabetic subjects. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2060-2070, 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy plays an important role in the defence against intracellular pathogens. However, some microorganisms can manipulate this host cell pathway to their advantage. In this study, we addressed the role of host cell autophagy during Plasmodium berghei liver infection. We show that vesicles containing the autophagic marker LC3 surround parasites from early time-points after invasion and throughout infection and colocalize with the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. Moreover, we show that the LC3-positive vesicles that surround Plasmodium parasites are amphisomes that converge from the endocytic and autophagic pathways, because they contain markers of both pathways. When the host autophagic pathway was inhibited by silencing several of its key regulators such as LC3, Beclin1, Vps34 or Atg5, we observed a reduction in parasite size. We also found that LC3 surrounds parasites in vivo and that parasite load is diminished in a mouse model deficient for autophagy. Together, these results show the importance of the host autophagic pathway for parasite development during the liver stage of Plasmodium infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RRAM technology relying on transitional metal oxides (namely OxRAM) is about to reach the industrial stage. Nevertheless the physical-based understanding of the material and process implications at device and circuit levels is still not completely clear, hindering the full industrial exploitation of the OxRAM technology. In this context, this article presents a multi-scale methodology that connects the microscopic material properties to the electrical behavior of OxRAM devices at the circuit level. Microscopic models describing OxRAM operation (i.e., forming, resistive switching) and variability (e.g., cycle-to-cycle, RTN) will be reviewed and used for the development of compact models that will allow investigating the potential of this technology at the circuit level. An overview of some innovative applications involving OxRAM will be finally presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mild ophthalmoparesis can be seen in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD).Methods: Orthoptic analysis included assessment of phoria/tropia, eye excursion, saccades, pursuit, stereoacuity, and Hess-Lancaster screen test. Video-oculography included fixation, horizontal and vertical saccades, and pursuit.Results: Orthoptic abnormalities were: tropia (4 of 6); abnormal eye excursion (4 of 6, 78% involved lateral or superior rectus muscles); abnormal horizontal or vertical saccades (2 of 6); abnormal pursuit (0 of 6); abnormal stereoacuity (2 of 6); and pathological Hess-Lancaster screen (4 of 6). Video-oculographic abnormalities were present for: fixation (1 of 6); saccade latency (1 of 6); horizontal pursuit (3 of 6); and vertical pursuit (0 of 6). For horizontal saccades, mean velocity, peak velocity, and gain were pathological in 5 of 6, 5 of 6 (61% of pathological mean and peak velocities involved abducting eye movements), and 3 of 6, respectively. For vertical saccades, mean velocity, peak velocity, and gain were pathological in 4 of 6, 4 of 6 (53% involved upward movements), and 3 of 6, respectively.Conclusion: The data indicate preferential involvement of lateral and (to a lesser degree) superior rectus muscles in OPMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/Hypothesis Otologic complaints may place a significant burden on emergency departments (EDs) in the United States; however, few studies have comprehensively examined this discrete patient population. We aimed to identify utilization of EDs by patients with primary otologic complaints. Study Design Retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) from 2009 through 2011. Methods The NEDS database was queried for patient encounters with a primary otologic diagnosis based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes (380-389). Weighted estimates for demographics, diagnostic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and trends over time were extracted. Predictors of mortality and admission were determined by multivariable logistic regression. Results A weighted total of 8,611,282 visits between 2009 and 2011 were attributed to otologic diagnoses, representing 2.21% of all ED visits. Stratified by patient age, otologic diagnoses encompassed 1.01% and 6.79% of all adult and pediatric ED visits, respectively. The majority of patients were treated and released (98.17%). The average age of patients presenting with an otologic complaint was 17.9 years (standard error = 0.23). Overall, 62.7% of patients who presented with an otologic complaint were 0 to 17 years old. The most common diagnoses among all age groups included otitis media not otherwise specified (NOS) (60.6%), infected otitis externa NOS (11.8%), and otalgia NOS (6.8%). Conclusions We provide a comprehensive overview of otologic complaints that are an overlooked diagnostic category in public health research. NEDS data demonstrate a significant number of visits related to otologic complaints, especially in the pediatric population, that are nonemergent. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 125:1926-1933, 2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrosing mediastinitis ( FM), also called sclerosing mediastinitis or mediastinal fibrosis, is a rare disease characterized by excessive fibrotic reaction in the mediastinum and may compromise the airway, the great vessels and other mediastinal structures, with a morbidity directly related to the location and extent of fibrosis. The cause is not always known but is often the result of a granulomatous disease, most often the histoplasmosis. We report a 43-year-old woman with a history of tuberculosis infection 23 years ago. She attended the pulmonology clinic for cough and dyspnea. Physical examination revealed jugular venous distention at 90°. In computed tomography scan of the chest with constrast (c/c), we observed a mediastinal nodal cast provoking cava compression and obliteration of main and intermediary right lobar bronchus. The pathological examination was FM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telaprevir and boceprevir, the two first hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease inhibitors (PIs), considerably increase rates of sustained virologic response in association with pegylated interferon and ribavirin in chronic HCV genotype 1 infections. The 30 first patients treated by telaprevir or boceprevir including anti-HCV therapies since 2011 in Marseille University hospitals, France, were monitored. HCV loads and plasmatic concentrations of telaprevir and boceprevir were determined on sequential blood samples. HCV NS3 protease gene population sequencing was performed at baseline of treatment and in case of treatment failure. Fifteen patients (including 7 co-infected with HIV) received telaprevir and the other 15 patients (including 4 co-infected with HIV) received boceprevir. At baseline, HCV NS3 protease from six patients harbored amino acid substitutions associated with PI-resistance. Treatment failure occurred at week 12 for 7 patients. Amino acid substitutions associated with PI-resistance were observed in six of these cases. HCV NS3 R155K and T54A/S mutants, all of genotype 1a, were found from four patients. Median (interquartile range) plasma concentrations were 3,092 ng/ml (2,320-3,525) for telaprevir and 486 ng/ml (265- 619) for boceprevir. For HIV-HCV co-infected patients, median concentrations were 3,162 ng/ ml (2,270-4,232) for telaprevir and 374 ng/ml (229-519) for boceprevir. Plasma drug concentration monitoring revealed undetectable concentrations for two patients at week 4, and probable non-adherence to therapy for another patient. These findings indicate that routine HCV NS3 protease sequencing and plasma PI concentration monitoring might be helpful to characterize cases of therapy failure, at a cost dramatically low compared to that of anti-HCV therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral characterization is an important part of establishing novel animal models, but classical behavioral tests struggle to reveal conclusive results due to problems with both reproducibility and validity. On the contrary, automated homecage observations are believed to produce robust outcomes that relate more to natural animal behavior. However, information on the behavior of background strains from such observations, which could provide important reference material, is rare. For this reason, we compared the behavior of the commonly used Lister Hooded, Lewis, Fischer 344 and Wistar rats during 70 h of exposure to an automated homecage system at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. We found considerable strain differences in metabolic parameters, novelty-induced and baseline activity-related behavior as well as differences in the development of these parameters with age. The results are discussed in terms of advantages and disadvantages of the system compared to classical behavioral tests, as well as the system's ability to recreate common findings in literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares technical aspects of accrual-based budgeting and accounting reforms of the national governments of France, Germany, the UK and the US. It shows that there is no consensus among the four countries about the complete package of technical reform possibilities that is most appropriate; there is also no consensus among the four countries about each one of the possibilities that is most appropriate. What is clear is the resilience of traditional budgetary accounting systems. It is also clear that, in the fundamental context and content of the reforms, the UK is the striking exception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The GaLAxy Cluster Evolution survey (GLACE) is aimed to study the evolution of emission line galaxies in clusters across the cosmic time. It takes advantage of the tunable filter mode of OSIRIS (first light instrument of GTC) to scan H α /[N II], H β, [O II]3727 and [O III]5007 searching for star formation activity and AGNs in clusters in three different redshift windows ( z ∼ 0.40, 0.63, and 0.86), providing a unique view of the evolution of cluster galaxies along such redshift range. Moreover, the OSIRIS large field of view (8×8 arcmin2) together with GTC large collective area ( D ∼ 10 m) make it possible to detect SFR ∼ 2 M⊙ yr-1 in an angular area up to 2 Rvir. We present here the first results of the program together with a brief description of this novel technique focusing in the cluster CL0024+1654 ( z ∼ 0.39). (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luminosity functions are one of the most important observational clues when studying galaxy evolution over cosmic time. In this paper we present the X-ray luminosity functions for X-ray detected AGN in the SXDS and GWS fields. The limiting fluxes of our samples are 9.0 ×10-15 and 4.8 ×10-16 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 0.5-7.0 keV band in the two fields, respectively. We carried out analysis in three X-ray bands and in two redshift intervals up to z ≤ 1.4. Moreover, we derive the luminosity functions for different optical morphologies and X-ray types. We confirm strong luminosity evolution in all three bands, finding the most luminous objects at higher redshift. However, no signs of density evolution are found in any tested X-ray band. We obtain similar results for compact and early-type objects. Finally, we observe the 'Steffen effect', where X-ray type-1 sources are more numerous at higher luminosities in comparison with type-2 sources. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]