Search

Infrared thermography is gaining relevance in breast cancer assessment. For this purpose, breast segmentation in thermograms is an important task for performing automatic image analysis and detecting possible temperature changes that indicate the presence of malignancy. However, it is not a simple task since the breast limit borders, especially the top borders, often have low contrast, making it difficult to isolate the breast area. Several algorithms have been proposed for breast segmentation, but these highly depend on the contrast at the lower breast borders and on filtering algorithms to remove false edges. This work focuses on taking advantage of the distinctive inframammary shape to simplify the definition of the lower breast border, regardless of the contrast level, which indeed also provides a strong anatomical reference to support the definition of the poorly marked upper boundary of the breasts, which has been one of the major challenges in the literature. In order to demonstrate viability of the proposed technique for an automatic breast segmentation, we applied it to a database with 180 thermograms and compared their results with those reported by others in the literature. We found that our approach achieved a high performance, in terms of Intersection over Union of 0.934, even higher than that reported by artificial intelligence algorithms. The performance is invariant to breast sizes and thermal contrast of the images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze a model in which workers direct their search on and off the job and employer–worker match productivities are private information. Employers can commit neither to post contracts such that wages are a function of tenure nor to disregard counteroffers. In this context, potential employers who do not observe workers' productivity in their current matches use wages as a signal of workers' willingness to switch jobs. In turn, this implies that the wage contracts that employers post in the market for entry jobs—the jobs unemployed workers search for—not only direct job search but also signal future worker mobility. When the costs of creating entry jobs are sufficiently small, the unique equilibrium supports the efficient allocation under full information. When the costs of creating entry jobs are sufficiently large, the efficient equilibrium may break down because match‐specific risk gives rise to a holdup problem in the market for entry jobs. Then the unique equilibrium may fail to reveal match productivities in the market for entry jobs. The nonrevealing equilibrium features wage posting—pooling wage contracts—as well as counteroffers, which eliminates the holdup problem at the cost of distorting worker mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated early, real‐world outcomes with cenobamate (CNB) in a large series of patients with highly drug‐resistant epilepsy within a Spanish Expanded Access Program (EAP). Method: This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study in 14 hospitals. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, focal seizures, and EAP authorization. Data were sourced from patient clinical records. Primary effectiveness endpoints included reductions (100%, ≥90%, ≥75%, and ≥50%) or worsening in seizure frequency at 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐month visits and at the last visit. Safety endpoints included rates of adverse events (AEs) and AEs leading to discontinuation. Results: The study included 170 patients. At baseline, median epilepsy duration was 26 years and median number of seizures/month was 11.3. The median number of prior antiseizure medications (ASMs) and concomitant ASMs were 12 and 3, respectively. Mean CNB dosages/day were 176 mg, 200 mg, and 250 mg at 3, 6, and 12 months. Retention rates were 98.2%, 94.5%, and 87% at 3, 6, and 12 months. At last available visit, the rate of seizure freedom was 13.3%; ≥90%, ≥75%, and ≥50% responder rates were 27.9%, 45.5%, and 63%, respectively. There was a significant reduction in the number of seizures per month (mean: 44.6%; median: 66.7%) between baseline and the last visit (P < 0.001). Responses were maintained regardless of the number of prior or concomitant ASMs. The number of concomitant ASMs was reduced in 44.7% of patients. The cumulative percentage of patients with AEs and AEs leading to discontinuation were 68.2% and 3.5% at 3 months, 74.1% and 4.1% at 6 months, and 74.1% and 4.1% at 12 months. The most frequent AEs were somnolence and dizziness. Significance: In this highly refractory population, CNB showed a high response regardless of prior and concomitant ASMs. AEs were frequent but mostly mild‐to‐moderate, and few led to discontinuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (AP) is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia. Apx exotoxins are the most important virulence factors associated with the induction of lesions. ApxI is highly cytotoxic on a wide range of cells. Besides the induction of necrosis and apoptosis of ApxI on porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), its role in pyroptosis, a caspase‐1‐dependent form of cell death, has not been reported. The aim of this study was to analyse if NLRP3 inflammasome participates in cell death induced by ApxI. Methods: PAMs, the porcine alveolar macrophage cell line 3D4/21 and a porcine aortic endothelial cell line were used in this study. We used Z‐VAD‐FMK and Ac‐YVAD‐cmk to inhibit caspase‐1. Glyburide and MCC950 were used to inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome. A lactate dehydrogenase release assay was used to measure the percentage of cell death. Caspase‐1 expression was analysed by immunofluorescence. End‐point RT‐PCR was used to analyse the expression of NLRP3 mRNA. Results: Rapid cell death in PAMs, 3D4/21 cells and the endothelial cell line were induced by ApxI. This cell death decreased by using caspase‐1 and NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors and by blocking the K+ efflux. Expression of NLRP3 mRNA was induced by ApxI in alveolar macrophages while it was constitutive in the endothelial cell line. Detection of caspase‐1 in alveolar macrophages was higher after ApxI treatment and it was blocked by MCC950 or heat inactivation. Conclusions: To the best of the authors' knowledge, we have described for the first time in vitro induction of ApxI associated pyroptosis in alveolar macrophages and endothelial cells, a rapid cell death that depends on the activation of caspase‐1 via the NLRP3 inflammasome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore evolutionary hypotheses for the high frequencies of a substitution in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, in Mexican and Central American Indigenous populations. Materials and methods: We obtained allele frequencies for the C677T variant in the MTHFR gene and ecological information for 37 indigenous samples from Mexico and Central America. We calculated Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and computed Fst statistics. We computed correlations between the samples' allele frequencies and ecological and geochemical variables. Results: Many of the samples have extremely high frequencies of the T allele (q¯ = 0.62, median = 0.66). In this region, the frequency of the T allele decreases from Southeast to Northwest and is significantly correlated with longitude, latitude, altitude, and insolation. Conclusions: The native people of Central America and Mexico evolved high frequencies of an allele which has been shown to produce deleterious clinical effects including neural tube effects, cardiovascular events, and cancer. This allele has a clinal distribution in the region, perhaps associated with solar irradiation. As (Contreras‐Cubas et al., 2016) noted, the traditional diet of these populations, which is high in folate, has likely mitigated the negative effect of the allele. It is of primary importance that their rights to their homeland and traditional diets be respected. It is a matter of Public Health to investigate whether this allele is a factor in the current wave of cardiovascular diseases affecting the majority population of this region, since it descends from the Native peoples and the Mediterranean population, which also has high frequencies of the allele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of consistent individual differences in behavior has been shown in a number of species, and several studies have found observable sex differences in these behaviors, yet their evolutionary implications remain unclear. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of behavioral traits requires knowledge of their genetic architectures and whether this architecture differs between the sexes. We conducted a quantitative genetic study in a sexually size‐dimorphic spider, Larinioides sclopetarius, which exhibits sex differences in adult lifestyles. We observed pedigreed spiders for aggression, activity, exploration, and boldness and used animal models to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on these behaviors. We detected trends toward (i) higher additive genetic variances in aggression, activity, and exploration in males than females, and (ii) difference in variances due to common environment/maternal effects, permanent environment and residual variance in aggression and activity with the first two variances being higher in males for both behaviors. We found no sex differences in the amount of genetic and environmental variance in boldness. The mean heritability estimates of aggression, activity, exploration, and boldness range from 0.039 to 0.222 with no sizeable differences between females and males. We note that the credible intervals of the estimates are large, implying a high degree of uncertainty, which disallow a robust conclusion of sex differences in the quantitative genetic estimates. However, the observed estimates suggest that sex differences in the quantitative genetic architecture of the behaviors cannot be ruled out. Notably, the present study suggests that genetic underpinnings of behaviors may differ between sexes and it thus underscores the importance of taking sex differences into account in quantitative genetic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal muscle atrophy is characterized by the degradation of myofibrillar proteins, such as myosin heavy chain or troponin. An increase in the expression of two muscle‐specific E3 ligases, atrogin‐1 and MuRF‐1, and oxidative stress are involved in muscle atrophy. Patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD) develop muscle wasting. Several bile acids increase in plasma during cholestatic CLD, among them, cholic acid (CA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA). The receptor for bile acids, TGR5, is expressed in healthy skeletal muscles. TGR5 is involved in the regulation of muscle differentiation and metabolic changes. In this paper, we evaluated the participation of DCA and CA in the generation of an atrophic condition in myotubes and isolated fibers from the muscle extracted from wild‐type (WT) and TGR5‐deficient (TGR5−/−) male mice. The results show that DCA and CA induce a decrease in diameter, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) protein levels, two typical atrophic features in C2C12 myotubes. We also observed similar results when INT‐777 agonists activated the TGR5 receptor. To evaluate the participation of TGR5 in muscle atrophy induced by DCA and CA, we used a culture of muscle fiber isolated from WT and TGR5−/− mice. Our results show that DCA and CA decrease the fiber diameter and MHC protein levels, and there is an increase in atrogin‐1, MuRF‐1, and oxidative stress in WT fibers. The absence of TGR5 in fibers abolished all these effects induced by DCA and CA. Thus, we demonstrated that CS and deoxycholic acid induce skeletal muscle atrophy through TGR5 receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central question in ecology and evolution is to understand why sexual selection varies so much in strength across taxa; it has long been known that ecological factors are crucial to this. Temperature is a particularly salient abiotic ecological factor that modulates a wide range of physiological, morphological and behavioural traits, impacting individuals and populations at a global taxonomic scale. Furthermore, temperature exhibits substantial temporal variation (e.g. daily, seasonally and inter‐seasonally), and hence for most species in the wild sexual selection will regularly unfold in a dynamic thermal environment. Unfortunately, studies have so far almost completely neglected the role of temperature as a modulator of sexual selection. Here, we outline the main pathways through which temperature can affect the intensity and form (i.e. mechanisms) of sexual selection, via: (i) direct effects on secondary sexual traits and preferences (i.e. trait variance, opportunity for selection and trait–fitness covariance), and (ii) indirect effects on key mating parameters, sex‐specific reproductive costs/benefits, trade‐offs, demography and correlated abiotic factors. Building upon this framework, we show that, by focusing exclusively on the first‐order effects that environmental temperature has on traits linked with individual fitness and population viability, current global warming studies may be ignoring eco‐evolutionary feedbacks mediated by sexual selection. Finally, we tested the general prediction that temperature modulates sexual selection by conducting a meta‐analysis of available studies experimentally manipulating temperature and reporting effects on the variance of male/female reproductive success and/or traits under sexual selection. Our results show a clear association between temperature and sexual selection measures in both sexes. In short, we suggest that studying the feedback between temperature and sexual selection processes may be vital to developing a better understanding of variation in the strength of sexual selection in nature, and its consequences for population viability in response to environmental change (e.g. global warming). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The treatment paradigm in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) is evolving toward individualized, risk‐directed, and longer duration of therapy (DOT). The objective of this study was to describe treatment patterns and outcomes in non‐transplant NDMM in four European countries. Methods: This retrospective chart review included adults with NDMM diagnosed between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2013 (early cohort), or April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017 (recent cohort). Results: Among 836 patients, molecular testing was performed in 21% and 35% patients of early vs recent cohorts; proteasome inhibitor (PI)/alkylator combinations were the principal first‐line (1 L) therapy (39% vs 43%). Use of immunomodulatory drug (IMID)/alkylator combinations declined from early to recent cohort (26% vs 13%) but IMID (7% vs 16%) use increased. Few patients (5%) received 1 L maintenance therapy. Two‐thirds of patients were treated with a fixed duration intent, with a median 7‐month 1 L DOT and progression‐free survival (PFS) of 32.8 months in the early cohort. Both 1 L DOT and PFS were longer with oral compared to injectable regimens. Conclusions: Although frontline treatment patterns changed significantly, 1 L DOT is short. The uptake of molecular testing and 1 L maintenance is low. These results highlight areas of unmet need in NDMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for mates and food is mediated by volatile chemicals. Insects sense food odorants and sex pheromones through odorant receptors (ORs) and pheromone receptors (PRs), which are expressed in olfactory sensory neurons. Molecular phylogenetics of ORs, informed by behavioral and functional data, generates sound hypotheses for the identification of semiochemicals driving olfactory behavior. Studying orthologous receptors and their ligands across taxa affords insights into the role of chemical communication in reproductive isolation and phylogenetic divergence. The female sex pheromone of green budworm moth Hedya nubiferana (Lepidoptera, Totricidae) is a blend of two unsaturated acetates, only a blend of both elicits male attraction. Females produce in addition codlemone, which is the sex pheromone of another tortricid, codling moth Cydia pomonella. Codlemone also attracts green budworm moth males. Concomitantly, green budworm and codling moth males are attracted to the host plant volatile pear ester. A congruent behavioral response to the same pheromone and plant volatile in two tortricid species suggests co‐occurrence of dedicated olfactory channels. In codling moth, one PR is tuned to both compounds, the sex pheromone codlemone and the plant volatile pear ester. Our phylogenetic analysis finds that green budworm moth expresses an orthologous PR gene. Shared ancestry, and high levels of amino acid identity and sequence similarity, in codling and green budworm moth PRs offer an explanation for parallel attraction of both species to the same compounds. A conserved olfactory channel for a sex pheromone and a host plant volatile substantiates the alliance of social and habitat signals in insect chemical communication. Field attraction assays confirm that in silico investigations of ORs afford powerful predictions for an efficient identification of behavior‐modifying semiochemicals, for an improved understanding of the mechanisms of host plant attraction in insect herbivores and for the further development of sustainable insect control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is often expected that adverse environmental conditions depress the expression of condition‐dependent sexually selected traits, the full consequences of environmental change for the action of sexual selection, in terms of the opportunity for total sexual selection and patterns of phenotypic selection, are unknown. Here we show that dietary stress in guppies, Poecilia reticulata, reduces the expression of several sexually selected traits and increases the opportunity for total sexual selection (standardized variance in reproductive success) in males. Furthermore, our results show that dietary stress modulates the relative importance of precopulatory (mating success) and postcopulatory (relative fertilization success) sexual selection, and that the form of multivariate sexual selection (linear vs. nonlinear) depends on dietary regime. Overall, our results are consistent with a pattern of heightened directional selection on condition‐dependent sexually selected traits under environmental stress, and underscore the importance of sexual selection in shaping adaptation in a changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex differences in the genetic architecture of behavioral traits can offer critical insight into the processes of sex‐specific selection and sexual conflict dynamics. Here, we assess genetic variances and cross‐sex genetic correlations of two personality traits, aggression and activity, in a sexually size‐dimorphic spider, Nuctenea umbratica. Using a quantitative genetic approach, we show that both traits are heritable. Males have higher heritability estimates for aggressiveness compared to females, whereas the coefficient of additive genetic variation and evolvability did not differ between the sexes. Furthermore, we found sex differences in the coefficient of residual variance in aggressiveness with females exhibiting higher estimates. In contrast, the quantitative genetic estimates for activity suggest no significant differentiation between males and females. We interpret these results with caution as the estimates of additive genetic variances may be inflated by nonadditive genetic effects. The mean cross‐sex genetic correlations for aggression and activity were 0.5 and 0.6, respectively. Nonetheless, credible intervals of both estimates were broad, implying high uncertainty for these estimates. Future work using larger sample sizes would be needed to draw firmer conclusions on how sexual selection shapes sex differences in the genetic architecture of behavioral traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During the 1920s Heidegger gave no less than twelve seminars and lecture courses devoted either exclusively or in large part to the reading of Aristotle's texts. Seven of these, especially the smaller seminars for advanced students, have not been published and apparently will never be included in the Gesamtausgabe. My focus here is on the very first of these. Billed as a reading of Aristotle's De Anima, much of it was devoted to Aristotle's Metaphysics. This decision not to separate Aristotle's “psychology” from his “ontology” is a key move of the seminar that anticipates the project of Being and Time. This and many other ways in which Heidegger's early reading of De Anima anticipates the key moves of the later book constitute one of the reasons for its importance. Another is that the seminar allows us to see what gets suppressed in Heidegger's reading of Aristotle, most significantly, the phenomenon of life itself in favor of an eventual focus on the being of human life or Dasein. This early seminar thus enables us not only to better understand Heidegger's project, but also to raise some fundamental questions concerning it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anemia is the main indication for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and iron deficiency is the most prevalent, preventable, and treatable cause of anemia worldwide. We aimed to assess the impact of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) on RBC transfusion by means of a program for prevention, early detection, and treatment.Study Design and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted starting in 2014 after an intervention in clinical practice in Melilla, a peripheral city isolated by 207 km sea distance to nearest continental Spain. Recommendations were proposed for first-step diagnosis of iron deficiency in the laboratory, oral iron prevention and treatment in primary care, and intravenous iron complexes and RBC transfusion for hospital management. Reduction in RBC use for years 2014 to 2016 was the primary outcome, with the period 2010 to 2013 considered as baseline performance for statistical analysis.Results: Compared to baseline, there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in mean (±SD) yearly reference population (79,748 ± 3265 vs. 85,376 ± 781), ferritin assays (6980 ± 997 vs. 11,794 ± 1567), admissions (6768 ± 239 vs. 7629 ± 191), and subjects exposed to iron therapy (3975 ± 0.0 vs. 4667 ± 21 for oral, 54 ± 7 vs. 257 ± 109 for sucrose, and 128 ± 9 vs.176 ± 15 for carboxymaltose iron). Mean yearly number of RBC units transfused decreased (1622 ± 112 vs. 1434 ± 44; p = 0.043), with a mean reduction of 11.6% from baseline, or 21.4% when estimated by units transfused per 1000 admissions.Conclusions: Management of IDA is a target to avoid RBC transfusion, and awareness of this health problem should be among the first pillars for any patient blood management program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be obtained from HAuCl4 by using poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) as both reductant and stabilizing agent. However, the known affinity of PEI for different materials has not been exploited to coat them and turn their surface catalytic. We demonstrate that the irradiation of a solution of HAuCl4 and branched PEI 1800 (bPEI2K) with microwave (MW) yields PEI-stabilized AuNPs (MW-PEI@AuNPs) with an average size of 7.6 nm that are catalytically active in the reduction with NaBH4 of different nitroarenes functionalized with a variety of functional groups. Moreover, the as-prepared MW-PE@-AuNPs show affinity for different materials such as polystyrene (standard spectrophotometry disposal cuvettes), polypropylene (Falcon-type tubes), and silica (Silica gel 60), turning their surface catalytic without any additional synthetic step. This feature was exploited to transform standard tubing (Tygon, poly(ether ether ketone), and stainless steel) into flow reactors by simple passage of a solution of MW-PEI@AuNPs. This straightforward functionalization is especially appealing in the case of the stainless-steel tubing, one of the materials more widely used in HPLC, which is of interest for flow nanocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel one-pot method for the synthesis of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-coated gold nanoparticles (AuPEI-NPs) that combines the reductant-stabilizer properties of PEI with microwave irradiation starting from hydrogen tetrachloroaurate acid (HAuCl4) and branched PEI 25 kDa (b25kPEI) was explored. The method was straightforward, green, and low costing, for which the Au/PEI ratio (1:1 to 1:128 w/ w) was a key parameter to modulate their capabilities as DNA delivery nanocarriers. Transfection assays in CHO-k1 cells demonstrated that AuPEI-NPs with 1:16 and 1:32 w/ w ratios behaved as effective DNA gene vectors with improved transfection efficiencies (twofold) and significantly lower toxicity than unmodified b25kPEI and Lipofectamine 2000. The transfection mediated by these AuPEI-NP-DNA polyplexes preferentially used the caveolae-mediated route for intracellular internalization, as shown by studies performed by using specific internalization inhibitors as well as colocalization with markers of clathrin- and caveolae-dependent pathways. The AuPEI-NP polyplexes preferentially used the more efficient caveolae internalization pathway to promote transfection, a fact that supports their higher transfection efficiency relative to that of Lipofectamine 2000. In addition, intracellular trafficking of the AuPEI-NPs was studied by transmission electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message Vaginal reconstruction represents a very difficult challenge. Free jejunal flaps can be easily molded and adapted to solve complex cases restoring the width, length, and consistency of the 'new' vagina without compromising the external genitalia and improving the lubrication while preserving sensation to clitoris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined the effect of previously described phage cocktail ( BEC8) on the inactivation kinetics of a mixture of E scherichia coli ( EHEC) O157: H7 strains on food processing surface materials: stainless steel chip ( SSC), ceramic tile chip ( CTC) and high-density polyethylene chip ( HDPEC). EHEC strains were combined and spot-inoculated on surfaces in dried or liquid form and BEC8 was applied and incubated at 12, 23, 30 and 37C. EHEC survival was determined on tryptic soy agar. D values ranged from 3.9 min at 37C to 46.7 min at 12C. Z values calculated for SSC, CTC and HDEPC resulted in 26.1, 23.7 and 26.7C for dry cells, respectively, and 23.2, 23.7 and 24.5C for liquid cells, respectively. There was a significant difference in the rate of bacterial inactivation between lower (12 and 23C) and higher temperatures (30 and 37C). These results indicated that BEC8 killed EHEC on hard surfaces rapidly following first-order kinetics. Practical Applications The effect of a previously described phage cocktail ( BEC8) on the inactivation kinetics of a mixture of E scherichia coli ( EHEC) O157: H7 strains applied on hard food processing surface materials was studied. The results indicated that phages killed EHEC on hard surfaces relatively rapidly following a predictable rate. However, one must consider the long times to achieve a 5-log reduction when initial cell counts are high. It would take approximately 2-4 h for a 5-log cfu reduction of liquid cells at 23C. Both the time length and the temperature of application must fit within the industry time scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface free energy (SFE) of polylactic acid (PLA) during grafting with N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) was determined from contact angle measurements using the vOCG, Fowkes', and Owens-Wendt methods (Harmonic and Geometric mean approximation equations). A good correlation between the results of the three methods was found. Polymer film was obtained by melt extrusion and grafted with NVP using UV light and benzophenone (BP) as photoinitiator. Comparison of SFE results with those from the literature for pristine PLA showed that the correlation depends on the method used for contact angle determination and the properties of the liquids used for this measurement. This finding might promote the rational design of surface modification of biocompatible films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical behavior of S-glycopyranosyl- N-monoalkyl dithiocarbamates (DTCs) as masked 1-glycosyl thiols, easily prepared by the nucleophilic displacement of 1-halo sugars with dithiocarbamate salts of primary amines, has been studied and synthetically exploited. This behavior relies on the abstraction of the proton of the carbamate functionality that allows controlled access to thiolate sugar intermediates. The basic character of the DTC salts used as reagents leads to thiolates that evolve in situ to symmetrical diglycosyldisulfides (DGDSs) when long reaction times are allowed. Alternatively, controlled unmasking of the thiolate function can be efficiently attained by treatment with an external base of isolated anomeric glycosyl DTCs, the formation of which is prevalent when using short reaction times. In this manner, a second methodology for the preparation of symmetrical DGDSs and a chemical protocol for the S-glycosylation of any electrophilic substrate are established. The applications of this last strategy for the preparation of thioglycosyl vinyl sulfones, thiodisaccharides, and S-linked homo- and heterodivalent neoglycoconjugates are described as a proof-of-concept of the great potential of the sugar DTCs in any chemical scenario in which the covalent attachment of a thiol sugar is required. The evaluation of the biological functionality of some divalent sulfurated sugar systems is also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel methodology for the synthesis of S- and N-functionalized dithiocarbamates starting from cyclic sulfates, amines and carbon disulfide by using different protocols, including microwave assistance and a multicomponent variant, has been developed. The procedure is highly versatile, simple and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immobilization of biomolecules on magnetic nanoparticles is an issue with high potential in different fields. We describe herein a new strategy to immobilize biomolecules on super-paramagnetic nanoparticles based on the reactivity of vinyl sulfone groups with naturally occurring functional groups present in biomolecules (amine and thiol). A new monomer containing a polymerizable methacryloyl group and a secondary amine group was synthesized and used to prepare super-paramagnetic hybrid nanoparticles (SP-HNPs) by two-step miniemulsion polymerization. The Michael addition reaction of divinyl sulfone (DVS) to the secondary amine groups localized on the nanoparticles surface allows the introduction of the vinyl sulfone function in the SP-HNPs (SP-HNPs-VS). The morphology of the functionalized SP-HNPs was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), dynamic light scattering, and magnetic susceptibility. The capacity of SP-HNPs-VS for the immobilization of biomolecules was evaluated with three model proteins: avidin, invertase, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The model proteins were successfully immobilized in mild aqueous conditions compatible with the biological nature of the enzymes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-pot, three-component methodology involving tandem azidation and click copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) of cyclic sulfates or cyclic sulfamidates in the presence of sodium azides and alkynes is reported. The developed protocol takes also advantage of the concomitant use of microwave (MW) irradiation and heterogeneous catalysis. The protocol allows the fast and efficient preparation of (alkyl sulfate)- and (alkyl sulfamidate)-1 H-1,2,3-triazoles in a simple manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Disparity sensitivity may be explained by interocular positional differences of the receptive fields (RF) of visual cortical cells or by interocular shifts of the On and Off RF subregions. Since this latter model assumes shifts are orthogonal to the orientation of the RF, cells with disparity sensitivity should be oriented. The objective of the present study is to test this assumption. Methods: Single unit recordings were performed in areas V1 and V2 of two Macaca mulatta. For assessing disparity sensitivity, we generated dynamic random dot stereograms. A stereofigure was flashed over the cell RF with different horizontal disparities. To assess orientation sensitivity we used a flashing bar with eight orientations, in several positions over the cell RF in a pseudorandom manner. Results: We found no relationship between sensitivity to horizontal disparity and orientation preference in V1 and V2 cells. Conclusions: Our data indicate that horizontal disparity sensitivity and orientation preference are unrelated properties. This favors the notion that sensitivity to horizontal disparity is mostly based on RF interocular horizontal positional differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the labor market effects of incomplete information about the workers' own job-finding process. Search outcomes convey valuable information, and learning from search generates endogenous heterogeneity in workers' beliefs about their job-finding probability. We characterize this process and analyze its interactions with job creation and wage determination. Our theory sheds new light on how unemployment can affect workers' labor market outcomes and wage determination, providing a rational explanation for discouragement as the consequence of negative search outcomes. In particular, longer unemployment durations are likely to be followed by lower reemployment wages because a worker's beliefs about his job-finding process deteriorate with unemployment duration. Moreover, our analysis provides a set of useful results on dynamic programming with optimal learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shows a new wideband driver for switchmode RF power wideband amplifiers based on the voltage waveforms generated across nonnominal wideband Class-E amplifier's switch. Their key features are high efficiency, wideband operation, and only positive driving voltage generation. Harmonic balance simulations and measurements on a prototype (B = 40%, POUT = 50 W at 7.5 MHz, ηOV > 90%) show its effectiveness. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 985–988, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23258 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the influence of molecular weight upon the electrification of linear polyethylenes during extrusion. It states that polymers may become electrified when they are subjected to vivid friction during their processing or under working conditions, and that the obtained electric charge can alter the adhesion and friction properties of these materials. In this study the effect of molecular weight and chain mobility on the electrification of linear-low density polyethylenes under extrusion is considered. It is established that the electric charge was found to increase with polymer molecular weight and die length, and that it showed a local maximum as a function of the average velocity of the melt in both instances.

We are able to judge the direction of movement and orientation of objects because they have contrast-defined edges. However, we are also able to perceive the orientation and direction of movement of stereobars made of random dot stereograms in the absence of contrast-defined edges. We recorded 207 disparity-sensitive cells from visual areas V1 and V2 of two Macaca mulatta monkeys while performing an attentive fixation task. Luminance defined bars and random-dot stereo-defined bars were used to assess direction and orientation selectivity of these cells. Orientation and direction preference for luminance bars and for stereobars showed a statistically significant relationship ( r = 0.83, P < 0.01 for direction; r = 0.63, P < 0.01 for orientation). However, disparity-sensitive cells from these areas seem to be more sensitive to luminance than to stereobars regarding orientation and direction of movement. Similar results were obtained when the two areas were considered separately. Our results show that cells in areas V1 and V2 of the monkey visual cortex are able to detect the orientation and direction of movement of stereobars in a manner similar to those of luminance-defined bars. This finding is relevant because to detect the direction and orientation of stereobars a comparison between left and right eye inputs is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiogenesis, resulting from an imbalance between angiogenic activator factors and inhibitors, is required for tumour growth and metastasis. The determination of the circulating concentration of all angiogenic factors (activators and inhibitors) is not feasible at present. We have evaluated diagnostic and prognostic values of the measurement of serum angiogenic activity in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients. Serum proliferative activity (PA) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro, and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were determined by ELISA in 53 patients with primary CRC, 16 subjects with non-neoplastic gastrointestinal disease (SC) and 34 healthy individuals. Data were compared with clinical outcome of the patients. Although serum from CRC patients significantly increased the PA of HUVEC, compared to culture control (HUVEC in medium + 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS); P< 0.001); our results indicate that serum PA in CRC patients was similar to that of SC or healthy individuals. There was no correlation between serum PA and circulating VEGF concentrations. Surgery produced a decrease of PA at 8 hrs after tumour resection in CRC patients compared to pre-surgery values (186 ± 47 versus 213 ± 41, P< 0.001). However, an increase in serum VEGF values was observed after surgery (280 [176–450] versus 251 [160–357] pg/ml, P = 0.004). Patients with lower PA values after surgery showed a worse outcome that those with higher PA values. Therefore, this study does not support a diagnostic value for serum angiogenic activity measured by proliferative activity on HUVEC but suggests it could have a prognostic value in CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recently published 1924 course, Grundbegriffe der aristotelischen Philosophie, Martin Heidegger offers a detailed interpretation of Aristotle's definition of kinesis in the Physics. This interpretation identifies entelecheia with what is finished and present-at-an-end and energeia with being-at-work toward this end. In arguing against this interpretation, the present paper attempts to show that Aristotle interpreted being from the perspective of praxis rather than poiesis and therefore did not identify it with static presence. The paper also challenges later variations of Heidegger's interpretation, in particular his account of dunamis in the 1931 course on Metaphysics Theta, which insists that its mode of being is presence-at-hand. By arguing that this reading too is untenable, the paper concludes that Aristotle's metaphysics is not a metaphysics of presence and that his texts instead point toward a possibility of metaphysics ignored by the attempts of Heidegger and others to overcome it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authors from Philadelphia revisit their extensive experience in lower-pole PUJ obstruction in duplicated collecting systems, finding that this occurred in 2.05% of duplicated systems. They found an apparent increase in the incidence of this anomaly in boys, and in those with complete duplications. In the second paper in this section, authors from Belgrade describe calibration and dilatation with topical steroids in the treatment of stenosis of the neourethral meatus after hypospadias repair. OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence and efficacy of treatment for pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO, the most common cause of hydronephrosis in the fetal kidney) in duplicated systems. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively assessed patients with PUJO in a duplex collecting system, reviewing each case for age, sex, anatomy, presenting symptoms and type of management. RESULTS From 1994 to 2004, 1413 patients were identified to have hydronephrosis; 243 of them had pyeloplasty for PUJO, and five (2%) involved the lower pole of a duplicated collecting system. In two of the patients the presentation was prenatal hydronephrosis (mean age at diagnosis 6 weeks) and the remainder presented with flank pain and pyelonephritis (mean age 5 years); all were boys. There was only one incomplete duplication (Y type). Four patients had a dismembered pyeloplasty and one a ureteric calycostomy. Vesico-ureteric reflux was present in three patients and two required common sheath reimplantation. On a radioisotope scan during the follow-up (mean 12 months) the five patients showed an improvement and no evidence of functional obstruction. CONCLUSION The incidence of PUJO in duplicated systems was 2%; treatment should be individualized and requires a careful preoperative evaluation. This anomaly appears to be more common in boys and in completely duplicated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binocular vision implies the fusion of the right and left retinal images to perceive a single image. For this, interocular interaction is required. We measured the reaction times to carry out a visual fixation task in order to determine whether binocular interaction influences performance. Several combinations of test and distraction stimuli were monocularly and binocularly presented to one monkey and three human subjects. The overall median reaction times were 340 ms for the animal and 308, 342 and 381 for human subjects 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Reaction time was shorter when the test stimulus was presented binocularly. Moreover, we observed that the presence of a distraction stimulus increased the reaction time and that a correlated distraction stimulus had a greater influence on this increase than an uncorrelated distraction stimulus. These findings indicate that with binocular vision a more rapid performance of a visual task occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which established factors relevant to human dermal exposure levels of greenhouse pesticide applicators. Materials and methods; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Abstract Binocular disparities are crucial for building an accurate three-dimensional representation of the peripersonal environment in a viewer-centred frame of reference. Previous studies have shown that visual cells of the medial superior temporal cortex (MST) have large receptive fields and that they are sensitive to disparities present in large surfaces. By using a reverse cross-correlation technique in this study we tested 175 disparity-sensitive units recorded from MST in the awake Macaca mulatta monkey to determine if these large receptive fields are homogeneous in terms of disparity sensitivity. We found that the receptive fields of 50 cells (50 out of 175, 29%) showed subregions with specific disparity sensitivity. These subregions presented eccentricities from 0.8 to 22.3° and their sizes varied from 1.6 to 15.3°2. This particular receptive field organization represents a suitable mechanism for encoding the location of small objects within our peripersonal space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Background: Association of choroidal neovascularization with pigment epithelial detachment is not an uncommon feature. Since this condition usually has a poor visual outcome, new treatments should be developed. Methods: We studied the anatomical and visual results of 11 eyes with this association as a manifestation of an Exudative Age Related Macular Degeneration which were treated with diode laser photocoagulation guided by indocyanine green angiography. The average follow up time was 25.5 months (from 12 to 48 months). Results: Complete closure with complete resolution of the exudates and flattening of the detachment was observed in five eyes (45%). Visual acuity in the final examination improved or remained stable in 6 cases (55%). Conclusion: These results indicate that diode laser photocoagulation guided by indocyanine green angiography is at least as effective as conventional lasers with shorter wavelengths for treatment of vascularized pigment epithelial detachments in Age Related Macular Degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The α1-adrenoceptor antagonist doxazosin has proved successful in treating patients with concurrent benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and hypertension in short-term studies. However, both conditions are chronic and may worsen over time. The aim of this study was, therefore, to examine the tolerability and efficacy of doxazosin in the long-term treatment of concurrent BPH and hypertension. Methods: This study was a longitudinal extension of earlier double-blind trials. Patients were enrolled into the study on a rolling basis. From a total of 178 BPH patients with hypertension enrolled into the study, 28 had reached 48 months of open-label treatment with doxazosin at the time of the final data cutoff. Results: Treatment with doxazosin resulted in sustained benefits for BPH patients over the whole study period, with significant improvements in the severity (12.2%, P < 0.001) and bothersomeness (13.2%, P < 0.001) of BPH symptoms, and in the maximum urinary flow rate (26.6%, P < 0.05) from baseline to the end of the 4-year period. There was also a significant and sustained reduction in diastolic blood pressure. The efficacy of doxazosin treatment for both BPH and hypertension was maintained over the 4-year period, despite the tendency of these conditions to worsen with time. Comparison of adverse events in patients with long- and short-term hypertension and BPH demonstrates that the safety of doxazosin is not altered during long-term therapy. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that doxazosin appears to be well tolerated and efficacious in the long-term management of concurrent BPH and hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Due to the separation of the eyes, temporal retinal disparities are created during binocular stimulation and they have been proposed to be the basis of several stereo-visual effects. This paper studies the sensitivity of cortical neurons from area V1 to interocular temporal delay in the awake monkey (Macaca mulatta). Forty-four cells were included in this study. Temporal delay sensitivity was observed in 59% of them. About half of these temporal-delay-sensitive cells were also sensitive to the stimulation sequence of the eyes. The cells that preferred one eye to be stimulated first were termed asymmetrical (46%); those which were not sensitive to the eye sequence of stimulation were termed symmetrical (54%). No clear differences were observed in the distribution of delay-sensitive cells according to their eye dominance. Fifty-six percent of balanced cells and 65% of unbalanced cells were sensitive to interocular delay. These data underline the importance of temporal cues for depth perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cerebrovascular deposition of the fibrillar form of the amyloid-beta protein, assembled from amyloid-beta monomer. Vascular amyloid-beta accumulation initiates a cascade of events culminating in weakening of the vessel wall and increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Among these events is an increase in vessel-associated monocyte/macrophage cells, which could promote vascular damage and may contribute to elevated immune responses observed in AD brain. We have investigated the ability of interactions between amyloid-beta and endothelial monolayers to enhance adhesion and subsequent transmigration of monocyte cells. Treatment of endothelial monolayers with amyloid-beta aggregation mixtures, containing mature fibrils, protofibril intermediates, and unassembled monomer, enhances monocyte adhesion and promotes subsequent transmigration. In contrast, treatment with either amyloid-beta fibril or monomer alone has no effect. These results demonstrate that the presence of aggregated amyloid-beta is insufficient to stimulate endothelium. Monomeric amyloid-beta and protofibrils were purified on a SEC Superdex 75 column. Aggregation was monitored by thioflavin T fluorescence and dynamic light scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]