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This article discusses the long-term outcomes and quality of life after emergency surgery for acute aortic dissection type A. The study analyzed 413 patients who underwent surgery between 2000 and 2016. The results showed that mortality rates at 30 days decreased significantly over time, and survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were also improved. However, the quality of life for patients was found to be significantly impaired compared to a healthy reference population, except for mental health which showed to be superior. Overall, the study suggests that emergency surgery for type A aortic dissection has improved over time, but there are still challenges in terms of quality of life. [Extracted from the article]

Warga desa Kadugenep Kecamatan Petir, Kabupaten Serang Provinsi Banten banyak yang membuka usaha home industri atau menjadi pelaku UMKM pengrajin tas, dompet, kelakat bambu dengan bingkai bulat rotan, dan supenir, dengan berbagai model, kwaliats dan bahan. Sudah cukup sukses, hasil kerajinan mereka sudah banyak yang dikirim ke kota propinsi lain hingga ke manca Negara. Kegiatan pengabdian ini bertujuan untuk mengedukasi masyarakat setempat terutama para perangkat desa, para pelaku UMKM dan para pemuda karang taruna, untuk meningkatkan keterampilan dan pegetahuannya (knowledge) tentang pengusaan penggunaan teknologi informasi, agar semakin bergairah memajukan home industri UMKM, dan pariwisata desa Kadugenep, memperkenalkan (pomosi) Potensi pariwisata desa yang sejuk dengan keindahan alamnya serta UMKM wilayahnya, berbasis teknologi informasi atau digital. Pengabdian ini dilaksanakan di kantor desa Kadugenep Kecamatan Petir, Kabupaten Serang Provinsi Banten, dengan target 20 0rang warga desa, sebagian besar telah bekerja di Kawasan wisata, home industri dan pelaku ekonomi kreatif (UMKM). Metode yang digunakan ceramah, diskusi, penyuluhan, pelatihan, serta praktek dan simulasi. Adapun hasil yang di peroleh yakni warga masyarakat desa (para peserta) antusias dan bersemangat, mulai percaya diri, mampu memanfaatkan aplikasi teknologi informasi sebagai media belajar, berlatih dan mencoba memposting gambar, video objek wisata, serta produk kerajinan (yang mereka rekam dan potret langsung ditempat), kemudian mempostingnya secara mandiri menggunakan perangkat handphone miliknya ke medsos mereka (Instagram, FB, WA, lainya). Mereka juga mampu menuliskan descripsi dengan stely tulisan, warna dengan baik. Yang nantinya dapat diakses dimanapun dan kapanpun, oleh orang-orang di luar desa kadugenep.

Light-harvesting complexes in natural photosynthetic systems, such as those in purple bacteria, consist of photo-reactive chromophores embedded in densely packed “antenna” systems organized in well-defined nanostructures. In the case of purple bacteria, the chromophore antennas are composed of natural J-aggregates such as bacteriochlorophylls and carotenoids. Inspired by the molecular composition of such biological systems, we create a library of organic materials composed of densely packed J-aggregates in a polymeric matrix, in which the matrix mimics the optical role of a protein scaffold. This library of organic materials shows polaritonic properties which can be tuned from the visible to the infrared by choice of the model molecule. Inspired by the molecular architecture of the light-harvesting complexes of Rhodospirillum molischianum bacteria, we study the light–matter interactions of J-aggregate-based nanorings with similar dimensions to the analogous natural nanoscale architectures. Electromagnetic simulations show that these nanorings of J-aggregates can act as resonators, with subwavelength confinement of light while concentrating the electric field in specific regions. These results open the door to bio-inspired building blocks for metamaterials from visible to infrared in an all-organic platform, while offering a new perspective on light–matter interactions at the nanoscale in densely packed organic matter in biological organisms including photosynthetic organelles.

Click here for the corresponding questions to this CME article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lions (Panthera leo) are of particular conservation concern due to evidence of recent, widespread population declines in what has hitherto been seen as a common species, robust to anthropogenic disturbance. Here we use non-invasive methods to recover complete mitochondrial genomes from single hair samples collected in the field in order to explore the identity of the Gabonese Plateaux Batéké lion. Comparison of the mitogenomes against a comprehensive dataset of African lion sequences that includes relevant geographically proximate lion populations from both contemporary and ancient sources, enabled us to identify the Plateaux Batéké lion as a close maternal relative to now extirpated populations found in Gabon and nearby Congo during the twentieth century, and to extant populations of Southern Africa. Our study demonstrates the relevance of ancient DNA methods to field conservation work, and the ability of trace field samples to provide copious genetic information about free-ranging animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, facile and efficient method was developed for the activation of acetic acid modulated zirconium MOFs. The protocol involves briefly heating the material in water using microwave irradiation. MOF-808, DUT-84 and UiO-66 were all activated in this manner to remove the modulator and organic solvent from the framework post synthesis, with retention of MOF integrity post activation. The degree of activation was characterised by the use of TGA and NMR. The catalytic activity of the activated MOFs and their non-activated counterparts was investigated for chemical warfare agent (CWA) hydrolysis. Upon activation, an increase in the rate of hydrolysis was observed in the degradation of CWA simulant dimethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (DMNP). MOF-808 and DUT-84 were also screened as catalysts for the hydrolysis of the V-series agent VM, with remarkable half-lives obtained for MOF-808 in the absence of any buffers. Currently employed MOF activation procedures involve the use of additional organic solvents post synthesis; we believe this method to be ideally efficacious for the organic desolvation of zirconium MOFs and removing modulator additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedentary behavior has a strong association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, which may be independent of physical activity. To date, the mechanism(s) that mediate this relationship are poorly understood. We hypothesize that sedentary behavior modifies key hemodynamic, inflammatory, and metabolic processes resulting in impaired arterial health. Subsequently, these vascular impairments directly and indirectly contribute to the development of CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A route to cheap and disposable sensors for the chemical sensing market, with potential applications including monitoring of food spoilage, is reported herein. The sensor is the result of the direct integration of a stimuli-responsive material, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), with an electronic component. The printing and sintering of colloidal silver ink solutions onto PDMS was optimized to allow the printing of conductive silver feed loops, which are the active sensing component in antennas for passive (battery-free) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. The response of these devices is related to the degree of swelling of the PDMS, which, in turn, has been shown to be correlated to the Hansen solubility parameters and the vapour pressures of the corresponding volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When exposed to solvent vapour the printed feed loop fractures, increasing resistance and ultimately breaking conductivity, leading to a change in the transmitted power and read range of the wireless device. Remarkably upon removal from the vapour, the fractured feed loops reassemble and become conductive again, making them switchable and “multi-use”. This work paves the way to a fully inkjet printed RFID substrate for vapour detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative degree of swelling of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) network in organic vapours is demonstrated to be related to the chemical and physical properties of the organic compounds. The swelling ratio, based on volume change, QV, is directly correlated with the Hansen solubility parameters, δd, δp and δh and the vapour pressures of the organic vapours employed. A practical use for such PDMS networks in combination with an understanding of the relationship is demonstrated by the use of PDMS as a mechanical actuator in a prototype wireless RFID passive sensor. The swelling of the PDMS displaces a feed loop resulting in an increase in transmitted power, at a fixed distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the factors and mechanisms guiding the migration/differentiation of neural crest cells that give rise to a number of distinguishable cell types, including all dermal and epidermal pigment cells, remain unknown. The axolotl possesses three pigment cell types that differentiate according to specific developmentally programmed sequences and contribute to pigment pattern in the adult. A single lineage of the crest that becomes restricted to one of three pigment cell types gives us the opportunity to examine the existence of a neural crest stem cell population and the potential for transdifferentiation events. Interpretations of experiments involving drug-treated and mutant axolotls implicate cellular plasticity leading to observed phenotypes. We present results from recent in vitro studies designed to identify parameters influencing differentiation events of individual neural crest-derived pigment cell lineages. We demonstrate that the differentiation of xanthophores is enhanced, while that of the melanophores are inhibited in guanosine-supplemented neural crest cell cultures. Data suggest that the increase in one pigment cell population is at the expense of another, indicative of cellular plasticity. Videomicroscopy used in this study agrees with an abundance of correlative evidence supporting the hypothesis of transdifferentiation events among neural crest-derived pigment cell populations. The embryonic neural crest-derived pigment cell system is an ideal model to study differentiation of multipotential stem cells that play critical roles in patterning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic study was made of the ability of aminopeptidase N from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris Wg2 to hydrolyse different peptide substrates. The enzyme showed a marked preference for substrates containing arginine as the N-terminal residue but, to a lesser extent, was also capable of cleaving other residues such as lysine and leucine. There was a tendency for the activity to increase with the hydrophobicity index of the C-terminal residue of dipeptide substrates. It was also observed that the enzyme tended to have higher affinities but lower V values for tripeptides with hydrophobic C-terminal residues. The values determined for K and V increased with chain length for oligopeptides of the general formula Lys-Phe-(Gly), the optimum, as determined from V/ K, being when n = 4. Typical K values for the most effective substrates were in the range 0.2-0.6 mM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the pyroelectric behavior of alternate-layer Langmuir-Blodgett films containing monomeric eicosylamine and a linear copolysiloxane substituted with omega-(4-alkoxyphenyl)alkanoic acid side-groups. Use of a quasi-static detection method to measure the rate of change of electric polarization with respect to temperature, that is, the pyroelectric coefficient of the molecular thin films.

Candidate genes and marker loci for cleft lip/palate (CL/P) were tested using linkage analyses and association studies. Eight British families with apparent autosomal dominant inheritance of non-syndromic CL/P participated in the linkage analyses while the association analyses involved 61 unrelated British white people with CL/P and 60 controls. The report of an association between RARA (17q21) and unrelated Australian persons with CL/P (p = 0.016) was not confirmed in British CL/P persons (chi 2 = 0.954, p > 0.1). There was also no evidence of linkage between RARA and the eight CL/P families (Z = -3.211, theta = 0.001). Linkage was excluded between familial CL/P and F13A1 (map position 6p24-25) with an observed maximum lod score of Z = -2.052 at theta = 0.05. No association was found between alleles at VIM (10p13) and the British CL/P subjects (chi 2 = 0.110, p > 0.5). Multipoint analysis excluded linkage between familial CL/P and the markers D1S65 and D1S58 which flank the Van der Woude syndrome locus with a maximum lod score of Z = -4.0. This suggests that the genetic defect underlying VWS is not the same as in non-syndromic CL/P. There was no evidence of linkage between CRTL1 (5q15) and the eight CL/P families (Z = -3.466, theta = 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Eight families have been identified with cleft lip, with or without cleft palate (CL/P), inherited in an apparently autosomal dominant manner. Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFA) has been tested as a candidate gene for clefting in these families. Negative lod scores were generated in an autosomal dominant model with 80% penetrance (Z = -3.152 at theta = 0.05 and Z = -2.49 at theta = 0.05 with only affected subjects scored). After testing with a reduced penetrance of 28%, less negative lod scores were generated (Z = -0.157 at theta = 0.00), but there was still no evidence of linkage. An autosomal recessive model with a penetrance of 35% was also tested. Regardless of the model used there was little evidence of linkage between TGFA and the CL/P phenotype, which is in contrast to the previously published findings of an association between TGFA and CL/P in unrelated subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Composite thick films of YBa2Cu3O7-x and silver have been prepared on alumina substrates using a paint-on method. It is found that thick films containing greater than about 10% silver by weight have greatly reduced normal resistivities for T>Tc (onset) and significantly enhanced Tc (R=0) as compared with undoped films processed under identical conditions. These results are interpreted in terms of enhanced grain growth and an improved coupling between grain boundaries because of proximity-induced electron pairing in the silver regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brother and sister are reported with developmental delay and facial features suggestive of the Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Cytogenetic analysis showed them to be trisomic for the region 3q25.1-26.2 because of the inheritance of an unbalanced interchromosomal insertion from their father, who was a balanced insertion carrier. The clinical phenotype and cytogenetic analysis (including chromosome painting studies) in relation to the possible localisation of the Cornelia de Lange gene are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report a mother and daughter with features of the velocardiofacial (VCF) syndrome and monosomy for 22q11 identified using molecular techniques. The mother had surgery as a child for a cleft palate and a congenital heart defect, and her facial features were consistent with the diagnosis. The daughter had developmental delay, absent speech, scoliosis, and similar facial features, but no cleft palate or congenital heart defect. These cases illustrate the considerable intrafamilial variability of the phenotype of VCF syndrome. The clinical and molecular diagnosis of this syndrome is discussed. The phenotypic variability of the VCF syndrome means that many cases may be undiagnosed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Three RFLPs at the TGFA locus were studied in 60 unrelated British Caucasian subjects with non-syndromic cleft lip/palate and 60 controls. A highly significant association between the TaqI RFLP and the occurrence of clefting was found (chi 2 = 15.04, p = less than 0.001). No significant association was found with the two other RFLPs studied (BamHI and RsaI). Haplotypes derived from the three RFLPs at the TGFA locus also showed an over-representation of the C2A2B2 haplotype in cases compared to controls. Analyses of genotypes according to type of cleft and the presence or absence of a family history of clefting were also carried out. These results provide further support for the role of TGFA as a gene of major effect in the development of orofacial clefts in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We show that semiconducting and insulating metal-oxide phases emit substantially greater luminescence when irradiated with 10–30 keV electrons than metallic, candidate high Tc superconducting phases. The use of a cathodoluminescence (CL) detector in a scanning electron microscope to form high-resolution CL images of Y2O3, BaCO3, Y2BaCuO5, oxygen-depleted YBa2Cu3O7-x(x>0.5), and oxygen-annealed YBa2Cu3O7-x(x∼0) is reported. The spatial resolution obtained in CL micrographs of YBa2Cu3O7-x is found to be about 0.1 μm when the electron beam current is 190 nA. The use of CL microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive x-ray analysis may be a promising technique for identifying candidate superconducting phases of novel stoichiometry in complex multiphase samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Can a skills training intervention reduce sexual risk behaviours in homeless men who have mental illness? Design: Randomised controlled trial with 6 and 18 months follow up. Setting; 200 bed municipal men's shelter in New York City, New York, USA. Patients: 97 men attending a psychiatric outreach programme. 59 of the men were sexually active at baseline (defined as having had vaginal or oral sex in the past 6 mo); most were >/= 35 years of age (58%), African-American (58%) or Latino (35%), had not completed high school (56% and had psychiatric diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (57%) or major or bipolar depression (27%). For sexually active men, follow up was 100% at 6 months and 95% at 18 months. Intervention: 52 men were allocated to the Sex, Games, and Videotapes (SexG) intervention, which involved 15 interactive sessions (2 d/wk for 8 wks) facilitated by a mental health professional and a paraprofessional. Activities included storytelling, competitive games, acting scenes from their daily lives, and practising the decision making skills required for consistent condom use. 45 men were allocated to the control intervention which involved 2 sessions on HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases and basic instruction on condom use. Main outcome measures: Main outcome was a sexual risk index (the Vaginal Episode Equivalent [VEE]) based on a semistructured interview given by interviewers blinded to the participant's group assignment. The index assigned scores for each unprotected anal, vaginal, and oral sexual episode. Other outcomes included episodes of sex, episodes with condom use, and high risk episodes (multiple partners and unprotected anal or vaginal sex). Main results: Intention to treat analysis focused on the subgroup of men who were sexually active at baseline (n = 33 in the SexG group and n = 26 in the control group). At 6 months, sexually active men in the SexG group had a lower mean VEE index than sexually active men in the control group (1.0 v 3.1, p = 0.01). Although the total number of episodes of sex were similar for the 2 groups (261 v 247), the SexG group had a higher proportion of episodes with condom use than the control group (73% v 52%, p = 0.04), and a lower proportion of high risk episodes (24% v 58%, p=0.01). The between group difference in mean VEE scores decreased over time from 2.1 at 6 months to 1.6 at 18 months. Among the 38 men who were not sexually active at baseline (n = 19 in each group), the SexG group did not differ from the control group for number who were sexually active (11 v 9) or had unprotected sex (5 v 6) at 18 months. Conclusion: A skills training intervention reduced high risk sexual behaviours in sexually active homeless men who had mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]