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Sarcomatoid sweat gland carcinomas are rare among cutaneous cancers, with less than 20 cases described. A 54‐year‐old woman with sarcomatoid sweat gland carcinoma of the right upper extremity suffered extensive recurrence at 15 months, unresponsive to chemotherapy. There is no standard treatment or chemotherapy regimens for metastatic sweat gland carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical approach to quantitatively determine the photothermally driven enhancement of molecular mobility of graphene‐indomethacin mixtures under infrared laser irradiation is proposed. Graphene plasmons absorb incident electromagnetic energy and dissipate them into heat. The absorbed energy depends on optical properties of graphene plasmons, which are sensitive to structural parameters, and concentration of plasmonic nanostructures. By using theoretical modelling, temperature gradients of the bulk drug with different concentrations of graphene plasmons are calculated. From these, the temperature dependence of structural molecular relaxation and diffusion of indomethacin are determined and how the heating process significantly enhances the drug mobility is found out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New derivatives of thiacrown ethers were synthesized based on the domino reaction of 1,5‐bis(2‐formylphenthio)‐3‐oxapentane with ketones containing active methylene group and ammonium acetate. After 24 hours at moderate temperature, the reaction afforded new substances containing both polyether chain S(CH2)2−O−(CH2)2−S and heterocyclic piperidone. Particularly when benzyl acetoacetate was used, the three ‐ component reaction provided a final tetrahydropyridine derivative product containing enamine fragment instead of piperidone as expected. Physico‐chemical methods of analyses including IR, 1H &13C‐NMR and HRMS were used to clarify these structures. Subsequently, the cytotoxicity of five novel derivatives were evaluated on four cancer cells including HeLa (HeLa cervical cancer), Hep‐G2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma), MCF7 (human breast adenocarcinoma), Lu‐1 (human lung adenocarcinoma) and Vero cell. The result showed the potential application of these compounds in terms of biological activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the plasmonic heating of graphene‐based systems under the mid‐infrared laser irradiation is theoretically investigated, where periodic arrays of graphene plasmonic resonators are placed on dielectric thin films. Optical resonances are sensitive to structural parameters and the number of graphene layers. Under mid‐infrared laser irradiation, the steady‐state temperature gradients are calculated. It is found that graphene plasmons significantly enhance the confinement of electromagnetic fields in the system and lead to a large temperature increase compared with the case without graphene. The correlations between temperature change and the optical power, laser spot, and thermal conductivity of dielectric layer in these systems are discussed. The numerical results are in accordance with experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach to understand the time-dependent temperature increasing process of gold-silica core-shell nanoparticles injected into chicken tissues under near-infrared laser irradiation is proposed. Gold nanoshells strongly absorb near-infrared radiations and efficiently transform absorbed energy into heat. Temperature rise given by experiments and numerical calculations based on bioheat transfer are in good agreement. Our work improves the analysis of a recent study [Richardson et al., Nano Lett. 2009, 9, 1139] by including effects of the medium perfusion on temperature increase. The theoretical analysis can also be used to estimate the distribution of nanoparticles in experimental samples and provide a relative accuracy prediction for the temperature profile of new systems. This methodology provides a novel and reliable tool for speeding up photothermal investigations and designing state-of-the-art photothermal devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searching novel haloplumbate building units to construct three‐dimensional (3D) frameworks is very important and highly desirable because such materials would possess new physical properties and potential applications. Here, by employing tetrakis(N‐imidazolemethylene)methane(TIMM) as a structure‐directing agent, the first 3D haloplumbate framework constructed from unprecedented Lindqvist‐like highly coordinated [Pb6Br25]13− nanoclusters has been successfully prepared under hydrothermal condition, where all Pb2+ centres in [Pb6Br25]13− nanoclusters adopt seven‐/eight‐coordinated configurations. The as‐obtained material is a wide‐gap semiconductor (≈3.1 eV) and can be stable up to 320 °C. More importantly, this material has been demonstrated to show temperature‐dependent emission. Our results could provide a new strategy to explore novel metal–halide open‐framework materials. Mind the gap: The first 3D haloplumbate framework constructed from unprecedented Lindqvist‐like highly coordinated [Pb6Br25]13− nanoclusters was successfully obtained. The as‐prepared material is a wide‐gap semiconductor and shows an interesting temperature‐dependent photoluminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As flood impacts are increasing in large parts of the world, understanding the primary drivers of changes in risk is essential for effective adaptation. To gain more knowledge on the basis of empirical case studies, we analyze eight paired floods, that is, consecutive flood events that occurred in the same region, with the second flood causing significantly lower damage. These success stories of risk reduction were selected across different socioeconomic and hydro-climatic contexts. The potential of societies to adapt is uncovered by describing triggered societal changes, as well as formal measures and spontaneous processes that reduced flood risk. This novel approach has the potential to build the basis for an international data collection and analysis effort to better understand and attribute changes in risk due to hydrological extremes in the framework of the IAHSs Panta Rhei initiative. Across all case studies, we find that lower damage caused by the second event was mainly due to significant reductions in vulnerability, for example, via raised risk awareness, preparedness, and improvements of organizational emergency management. Thus, vulnerability reduction plays an essential role for successful adaptation. Our work shows that there is a high potential to adapt, but there remains the challenge to stimulate measures that reduce vulnerability and risk in periods in which extreme events do not occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Diabetic kidney disease independently predicts cardiovascular disease and premature death. We examined the burden of chronic kidney disease ( CKD, defined as an estimated GFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2) and quality of care in a cross-sectional survey of adults (age ≥ 18 years) with Type 2 diabetes across Asia. Methods The Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation programme is a disease-management programme implemented using an electronic portal that systematically captures clinical characteristics of all patients enrolled. Between July 2007 and December 2012, data on 28 110 consecutively enrolled patients (China: 3415, Hong Kong: 15 196, India: 3714, Korea: 1651, Philippines: 3364, Vietnam: 692, Taiwan: 78) were analysed. Results In this survey, 15.9% of patients had CKD, 25.0% had microalbuminuria and 12.5% had macroalbuminuria. Patients with CKD were less likely to achieve HbA1c < 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) (36.0% vs. 42.3%) and blood pressure < 130/80 mmHg (20.8% vs. 35.3%), and were more likely to have retinopathy (26.2% vs. 8.7%), sensory neuropathy (29.0% vs. 7.7%), cardiovascular disease (26.6% vs. 8.7%) and self-reported hypoglycaemia (18.9% vs. 8.2%). Despite high frequencies of albuminuria (74.8%) and dyslipidaemia (93.0%) among CKD patients, only 49.0% were using renin-angiotensin system inhibitors and 53.6% were on statins. On logistic regression, old age, male gender, tobacco use, long disease duration, high HbA1c, blood pressure and BMI, and low LDL cholesterol were independently associated with CKD (all P < 0.05). Conclusions The poor control of risk factors, suboptimal use of organ-protective drugs and high frequencies of hypoglycaemia highlight major treatment gaps in patients with diabetic kidney disease in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To establish a nutrient-stressed multispecies model biofilm and investigate the dynamics of biofilm killing and disruption by 1% trypsin and 1% proteinase K with or without ultrasonic activation. Methodology Nutrient-stressed biofilms ( Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Actinomyces radicidentis, Streptococcus mitis and Enterococcus faecalis OMGS 3202) were grown on hydroxyapatite discs and in prepared root canals of single-rooted teeth in modified fluid universal medium. The treatment groups included trypsin, proteinase K, 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate and 1% sodium hypochlorite (Na OCl) (with and without ultrasonics). Na OCl and chlorhexidine were the positive controls and untreated group, and sterile saline was the negative control. The biofilms were investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy ( CLSM) with live/dead staining and quantitative microbial culture. Results Nutrient stress in the multispecies biofilm was apparent as the medium pH became alkaline, glucose was absent, and serum proteins were degraded in the supernatant. The CLSM showed the percentage reduction in viable bacteria at the biofilm surface level due to nutrient starvation. On the disc model, trypsin and proteinase K were effective in killing bacteria; their aerobic viable counts were significantly lower ( P < 0.01) than the negative control and chlorhexidine. NaOCl was the most effective agent ( P < 0.001). In the tooth model, when compared to saline, trypsin with ultrasonics caused significant killing both aerobically and anaerobically ( P < 0.05). Chlorhexidine (1.46 ± 0.42), trypsin (3.56 ± 1.18) and proteinase K (4.2 ± 1.01) with ultrasonics were significantly effective ( P < 0.05) in reducing the substratum coverage as compared to saline with ultrasonics (12% ± 4.9). Conclusion Trypsin with ultrasonic activation has a biofilm killing and disrupting potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, cases of the fish parasite Anisakis simplex infection and allergy in human have increased in countries with high fish consumption. Our aim was to perform an extended seroprevalence study of anti-IgE antibodies against this parasite in Norway, one of the high fish-consuming countries. At the Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine and the Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, two main groups of anonymized serum samples were collected; the first ( n = 993) from recently recruited blood donors (designated ' BDO') and the second ( n = 414) from patient with total IgE levels ≥1000 kU/l (designated 'IGE+'). The sera were analysed by the ImmunoCAP® method for total IgE and IgE antibodies against A. simplex, house dust mite ( HDM), shrimp, cod, crab, brine shrimp and shrimp tropomyosin. The A. simplex positive sera were further tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) method, which uses 2 recombinant (r) major allergens, rAni s 1 and rAni s 7 as target antigens. SDS- PAGE and Western immunoblotting analyses were also performed. Whereas the prevalences by ImmunoCAP® were 0.4% and 16.2% in the BDO and IGE+ groups, respectively, analyses with recombinant allergens showed only 0.0% and 0.2%. Cross-reactivity and immunoblotting analyses suggested that most of the ImmunoCAP® positive sera were probably false-positive due to cross-sensitization to shrimp and HDM. However, positivity due to other A. simplex antigens should also be considered. Compared with other high fish-consuming countries, we observed a very low seroprevalence of anti- Anisakis IgE antibodies in a Norwegian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to the construction of a computational nonlinear thermomechanical model of large light partition walls made up of cardboard-plasterboard-cardboard (CPC) plates screwed to a metallic frame, and is submitted to mechanical and thermal loadings induced by fire. The computational model, based on experimental analysis and a probabilistic modeling, is developed for the prediction of a large light partition wall for (1) its linear thermal behavior, (2) its nonlinear mechanical behavior, and (3) its nonlinear thermomechanical behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BG) is increasingly used as diagnostic marker for invasive fungal infections. Exposure to gauze may lead to false-positive BG assays. The role of BG is unclear in thermally injured patients who frequently require extensive gauze coverage; therefore, we prospectively evaluated BG levels in burn-injured patients. Serum BG levels were measured in 18 burn patients immediately before application of the first dressing and 12 h after. Patients were stratified by extent of total body surface area (TBSA) requiring gauze coverage: <20%, 20-39%, 40-60% and >60%. BG levels were obtained from patients with non-burn trauma as controls. BG results were positive (>80 pg ml−1) in 9/18 (50%) patients at baseline and in 8/18 (44%) 12 h after application of the first dressing. BG levels were positive in 1/5 (20%) of patients with <20% TBSA requiring gauze and in 10/13 (77%) with ≥20% ( P < 0.05). None of the control patients had positive BG at any time point and none of the patients had candidemia at baseline. Mean serum BG levels decreased (19.44 pg ml−1) after gauze placement. False-positive serum BG elevations are common in this patient population. Positivity correlates with extent of TBSA injured, but is not impacted by the gauze itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reports on fish parasite Anisakis simplex allergy have increased in countries with high fish consumption in the last decade. In Norway, a high consumption country, the prevalence of immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization to A. simplex was still unknown. Thus, our objective was to investigate the sensitization prevalence in this country. At the Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, two main groups of surplus serum samples were collected: one from newly recruited blood donors (BDO) and the other from the Allergy laboratory (ALL) after analysing IgE and IgE antibodies. The latter was divided into three series: one containing unsorted sera and two sorted by either Phadiatop®≥0.35 kUA/l or total IgE ≥1000 kU/l. The sera were analysed for total IgE and IgE antibodies against A. simplex, shrimp, house dust mite (HDM), cod and cross-reactive carbohydrates (CCDs). The prevalence of IgE sensitization to A. simplex was 2.0%, 2.2% and 6.6% in BDO, the unsorted and Phadiatop® positive serum groups, respectively. A considerable degree of cross-sensitization to shrimp and HDM is further suggested. Unspecific binding because of high total IgE or by binding to CCDs seemed to play a minor role. The prevalence of IgE sensitization to A. simplex appears to be lower in a Norwegian population than in other high fish-consuming countries, but might still be overestimated owing to cross-sensitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary A collection of Streptococcus sanguinis strains from patients with endocarditis ( n = 21) and from the oral cavity ( n = 34) was subjected to a multi-locus sequence typing analysis using seven housekeeping genes, carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase ( carB), Co/Zn/Cd efflux system component ( czcD), d-alanyl- d-alanine ligase ( ddl), DNA polymerase III ( dnaX), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase ( gdh), DNA-directed RNA polymerase, beta subunit ( rpoB) and superoxide dismutase ( sodA). The scheme was expanded by the inclusion of two the putative virulence genes, bacitracin-resistance protein ( bacA) and saliva-binding protein ( ssaB), to increase strain discrimination. Extensive intra-species recombination was apparent in all genes but inter-species recombination was also apparent with strains apparently harbouring gdh and ddl from unidentified sources and one isolate harboured a sodA allele apparently derived from Streptococcus oralis. The recombination/mutation ratio for the concatenated housekeeping gene sequences was 1.67 (95% confidence limits 1.25-2.72) and for the two virulence genes the r/m ratio was 3.99 (95% confidence limits 1.61-8.72); recombination was the major driver for genetic variation. All isolates were distinct and the endocarditis strains did not form distinct sub-clusters when the data were analysed using C lonalF rame. These data support the widely held opinion that infecting S. sanguinis strains are opportunistic human pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovalbumin (OVA) is widely used in allergy research. OVA peptide 323-339 has been reported to be responsible for 25-35% of isolated BALB/c mouse T-cell response to intact OVA. An investigation of whether OVA and OVA 323-339 molecules can induce equivalent in vivo and in vitro immune responses was conducted. Eight-week-old BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups: OVA, OVA 323-339 and saline. On days 0, 7, 14, mice were intraperitoneally injected with 25 μg OVA or OVA 323-339 absorbed on 300 μg Alum, or saline; on days 21-23, all groups were challenged intranasally with either 20 μl of 1% OVA, 1% OVA 323-339 or saline. On day 28, after killing, splenocytes were isolated and cultured under the stimulus of each allergen or medium. Evaluated by hematoxylin/eosin and major basic protein immunohistochemical stainings, OVA and OVA 323-339 induced similar lung inflammation. Interestingly, significant serum total IgE and OVA-specific IgE were observed in OVA mice when compared to saline control. OVA 323-339 mice showed higher serum OVA-specific IgE, OVA 323-339-specific IgE, IL-4 and lower IFN-γ similar to OVA mice. The proliferative response to OVA was found in cultured splenocytes of both OVA and OVA 323-339 mice, while the similar proliferative response to OVA 323-339 was only observed in the splenocytes of OVA 323-339-sensitized and challenged mice. Although OVA 323-339 induced a Th2-like response in the mouse model as did OVA, OVA 323-339 has clearly limited immunogenic potency to activate OVA-sensitized and challenged mice splenocytes, unlike OVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of limonene, a low molecular weight hydrophobic compound, to chocolate was reported to decrease the hardness and the viscosity of chocolate, facilitating the production and improving the eating quality of reduced fat chocolate. The objective of this study is to understand the functionality of limonene in decreasing the viscosity and the hardness of chocolate, a fat (cocoa butter)- based particulate suspension. This study shows that chocolate hardness was decreased because limonene mixes with cocoa butter, affects its crystallization pattern and decreases its solid fat content. After checking that limonene does not significantly affect the continuous phase volume fraction, we show that limonene decreases chocolate viscosity by decreasing the viscosity of the continuous phase, cocoa butter. The addition of low quantities of limonene in cocoa butter leads to a great decrease in the liquid fat viscosity. The dependence of the viscosity on the ratio of cocoa butter to limonene analyzed using Kay's equation seems to indicate that limonene mixes with and within the cocoa butter triglycerides, diluting the fat and leading to a decrease in the overall fat viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predominant Veillonella spp. were isolated from the dorsum surface of the tongues of 11 healthy adults and identified to species level using rpoB sequencing because 16S ribosomal RNA sequence analysis does not reliably differentiate between all members of this genus. In all, 253 isolates were identified and the mean proportion (± SE) of Veillonella spp. per sample was 16.2 (± 3.6) with a range of 3.0% to 36.3% of the total anaerobic colony count. The predominant species were Veillonella atypica (10/11), Veillonella dispar (9/11) and Veillonella rogosae (8/11) because they were isolated from the majority of subjects. Veillonella parvula was isolated from only one subject while Veillonella dentocariosi and Veillonella montpelleriensis were not isolated from any subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toluene diisocyanate (TDI), a highly reactive industrial chemical, is one of the leading causes of occupation-related asthma in industrialized countries. The pathogenesis of TDI-induced asthma, however, remains not fully understood, in part due to lack of appropriate animal models. Twenty five female BALB/c mice (age: 8 weeks) were randomly divided into 5 groups: Ovabumin (OVA); OVA peptide amino acid residues No. 323–339 (Pep); TDI; alum and physiological saline. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with 25 μg OVA or pep absorbed on 300 μg alum, 300 μg alum or saline on days 0, 7 and 14. For the TDI group, mice were sensitized subcutaneously with 20 μl neat TDI on day 0; 20 μl of TDI in olive oil (1:10) on days 7 and 14; on days 21–23. Then each group was challenged intranasally with 20 μl of 1% OVA, 1% Pep, 1% TDI, 10% alum and saline respectively. On day 28, mice were killed under pentothal anesthesia. The results demonstrated that neutrophil-dominant inflammation with a few eosinophil infiltration occurred in the peri-bronchial and peri-vascular regions of the lungs. This was accompanied by hyperplasia/hypertrophy of cells lining the airways and mucus production as shown by HE staining. Positive immunohistochemical MBP staining in parenchyma was also shown. Th2 cytokine IL-4 and IgE production were significant increased 5 days after last challenge while IFN-γ level was below the detection limit. Conclusion: the clear elevation of IL-4 and IgE could allow to conclude a possible Th2-like dominated allergic response in TDI-exposed BALB/c mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

αs1-Casein (CAS1_BOVIN), the major allergen of cow's milk (CM), is widely used as hydrolysates in infant diet formulae and additive to other processed food items. To date, most of the reported B-cell epitope mapping were performed on polyethylene pins or cellulose-derivative membrane. We sought to locate the motifs critical for human-specific IgE and rabbit polyclonal IgG binding using extensively purified CAS1_BOVIN, synthetic peptides and derivatives. Thirteen overlapping peptides covering the whole CAS1_BOVIN encompassing 17 : 20 amino acid (AA) were synthesized by f-moc AA solid-phase polyamide peptide synthesis. In addition, six cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage fragments were prepared. Limited hydrolysis, oxidized and reduced/alkylated derivatives were also produced. The preparations were purified by ion exchange, gel filtration chromatography, reversed phase and high-performance liquid chromatography. The homogeneity was visualized by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and poly acryl amide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by IgE and IgG immunoblotting. IgE binding was measured by Biotin Streptavidin (Bio/strep) fluoro enzyme immuno assay (FEIA) or ELISA-inhibition. Eighteen CM allergy (CMA) sera from 45 clinically examined children (Melbourne) and five adults (Bergen) were selected. Individual sera and pools were used for mapping IgE-binding epitopes. Rabbit IgG sera and pools were used for locating the antigenic sites of the molecule. Results indicated that all the individual CMA sera and pools recognized the intact molecule and three of the CNBr fragments as major antibody-binding allergens. The N- and C-terminal peptides (CAS 16-35; CAS 136-155) showed high IgE-binding affinity. CAS 1-18 and CAS 181-199 showed high IgG bindings. Considering the diversity of the antibody specificities, a reasonable agreement between IgE and IgG epitopes were found at the N- and C-terminals of CAS1_BOVIN. Mapping IgE B-cell epitopes by direct Bio/strep FEIA allowed the development of a sensitive modified technique for detecting unlabelled, casein immune dominant peptides in food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive theoretical framework integrating density functional theory (DFT) and finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) simulations to investigate absorption and photothermal properties of titanium oxynitride (TiON) is presented. DFT‐calculated dielectric data combined with theoretical estimations of effective thermal properties and mass density are used to predict absorption spectra and light‐induced temperature rise in TiON metamaterials and slabs. It is shown that a two‐layer nanoring metamaterial with moderate oxygen doping achieves over 95% absorption across the 550–1500 nm range due to the interplay between localized surface plasmon resonance and intrinsic TiON losses. This leads to enhanced photothermal heating effects in the TiON metamaterials compared to the TiON slab. The findings reveal that there exists an optimal oxygen doping level in TiON, where the photothermal efficiency is maximized due to a balance between enhanced absorption and reduced thermal conductivity. These results are consistent with prior works and provide insights into tailoring TiON for diverse solar energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasing consumption of lipids nowadays, decreasing the fat content in food products has become a trend. Chocolate is a fat-based suspension that contains about 30%wt fat. Reducing fat content causes an increase in the molten chocolate viscosity. This leads to 2 major issues: difficulties in the process and a loss of eating quality in the final product, reported to have poor in-mouth melting properties, remain hard, and difficult to swallow. Literature shows that optimizing the particle size distribution (PSD), that is, having one with an increased packing fraction, can decrease the viscosity of highly concentrated suspensions. This study focuses on the impact of the PSD and fat content on the rheological properties, melting behavior, and hardness of chocolate models (dispersions of sugar in fat). We show that optimizing the PSD while reducing the fat content to a critical amount (22%wt) can decrease the viscosity of the molten material and reduce the hardness of the crystallized chocolate models. Melting in the mouth, characterized by an in vitro collapse speed, is faster for the samples with an optimized PSD. The decrease in the viscosity by optimizing the PSD in systems with a constant fraction of medium phase is based on the decrease of interparticle contact, reducing the particle aggregates strength, and structure buildup during flow or meltdown. In its crystallized state, the particle network is less interconnected, providing less resistance to breakage and meltdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botulinum toxin serotype A (BoNT/A) was originally used in neurology for the treatment of dystonia and blepharospasms, but is now clinically used worldwide for the treatment of chronic migraine. Still, the possible mode of action of BoNT/A in migraine is not fully known. However, the mode of action of BoNT/A has been investigated in experimental pain as well as migraine models, which may elucidate the underlying mechanisms in migraine. The aim of this study was to review studies on the possible mode of action of BoNT/A in relation to chronic migraine treatment. Observations suggest that the mode of action of BoNT/A may not be limited to the injection site, but also includes anatomically connected sites due to axonal transport. The mechanisms behind the effect of BoNT/A in chronic migraine may also include modulation of neurotransmitter release, changes in surface expression of receptors and cytokines as well as enhancement of opioidergic transmission. Clinical and experimental studies with botulinum toxin in the last decade have advanced our understanding of headache and other pain states. More research into botulinum toxin as treatment for headache is warranted as it can be an attractive alternative for patients who do not respond positively to other drugs., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: To investigate the effects of an antioxidant dietary supplement that includes Ginkgo biloba, on retinal and retrobulbar blood flow in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG)., Methods: Forty-five patients with confirmed OAG were enroled in a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Baseline and postadministration measurements of intraocular pressure (IOP), ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), retrobulbar blood flow, and retinal capillary blood flow were non-invasively measured (ultrasound and laser Doppler modalities, respectively) before and one month after antioxidant nutraceuticals and placebo administration. Changes in measurements between the active supplement and placebo arms were evaluated using paired t-tests, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant., Results: Antioxidant supplementation produced a statistically significant increase in peak systolic and/or end diastolic blood flow velocities in all retrobulbar blood vessels compared to placebo. Vascular resistance was also reduced in central retinal and nasal short posterior ciliary arteries following antioxidant administration. Additionally, antioxidant supplementation increased superior and inferior temporal retinal capillary mean blood flow and the ratio of active to non-active retina capillaries compared to placebo., Conclusion: One-month oral administration of antioxidants produced increases in biomarkers of ocular blood flow within retinal and retrobulbar vascular beds in patients with OAG., (© 2017 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A comprehensive set of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators for international use was published in 2008. We describe the process followed to incorporate these indicators into Vietnam's National Nutrition Surveillance System (NNSS). Following its establishment in 1980, the National Institute of Nutrition introduced the Vietnam NNSS to provide an evidence base for nutrition interventions. While anthropometric indicators based on international standards were regularly used for programme purposes, data on IYCF could not be collected with similar rigor until 2010. In 2009, with support from Alive & Thrive and UNICEF, the NNSS questionnaire was reviewed and additional content incorporated to measure IYCF practices. The tool was pilot-tested in 10 provinces and revised before nationwide roll-out in 2010.The tool comprises four pages, the first three of which focus on collecting data relating to maternal nutrition and IYCF. The last page is flexibly designed to incorporate planners' data requests for other relevant activities (e.g. mass media interventions, food security). Once analysed, the data are presented in a report comprising provincial profiles and maps illustrating IYCF practices. Importantly, the IYCF data have been used for policy advocacy (e.g. maternity leave legislation, advertisement law), programme planning, trend monitoring and capacity building. Adoption of the IYCF indicators was successful due to strategic timing, a phased approach, buy-in from stakeholders and capacity building at all levels to ensure the quality and use of data. Further revisions to the NNSS (e.g. sampling methodology, quality assurance systems) will be important to ensure the reliability of indicators., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Animal models suggest that dioxins have a negative effect on the level of expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor in cells. In vivo the level of expression in tissue of the epidermal growth factor receptor can be monitored by assaying for the extracellular domain in blood using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. We have determined the levels of the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor in the plasma of 30 individuals: 10 with high blood dioxin levels (TEQ range = 318-673 ppt), 10 with medium blood dioxin levels (TEQ range = 16-60 ppt), and 10 with low background blood dioxin levels (TEQ range = 3-10 ppt). The levels of the epidermal growth factor receptor extracellular domain were lower in the high blood dioxin group (mean +/- SD = 45 +/- 26 fmol/ml) and the medium blood dioxin group (mean +/- SD = 41 +/- 23 fmol/ml) compared with the low blood dioxin group (mean +/- SD = 73 +/- 43 fmol/ml). These results suggest that the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor may be a marker of the biological effect of dioxin exposure.