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Post-extubation stridor (PES) is an imminently life-threatening event. Maximizing patient safety requires a systematic approach to screen patients for PES risk factors and a standardized test to evaluate that risk. This retrospective study of adult subjects was based on quality assurance data including standardized surveillance screening criteria and a volume-based cuff leak test (CLT) to evaluate PES risk among predominantly surgical-trauma and neurotrauma subjects. Data characterizing PES subjects also were collected.Data were collected between May 2010 and December 2017 for all intubated subjects in our surgical-trauma, neurotrauma and medical ICUs. Respiratory therapists were trained in performing both PES risk assessment surveillance and a volume-based CLT. A pre-hoc cut-off leak volume of110 mL defined a true positive test result when associated with PES and a leak ≥ 110 mL defined a true negative test if PES was absent. Multiple comparisons were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis tests and dichotomous variables assessed by Fisher exact tests. Alpha was set at 0.05.In 681 pre-extubation CLTs ∼85% produced true negative results and 15% consisted of: true positive (∼4%), false negative (∼5%), and false positive (∼6%) results. Positive and negative predictive values were 0.42 (0.32-0.54) and 0.94 (0.92-0.96) respectively. The PES likelihood ratio was 7.0 and correct classification was 89%. Of the 115 PES incidences occurring in 112 PES cases 67% were female and 53% had suffered acute brain injury.Among predominantly surgical-trauma and neurotrauma subjects a CLT leak volume of ≥ 110 mL was associated with a PES risk of ∼6% whereas the risk of PES is 7 times greater when the leak volume is110 mL.

Benzo［a］pyrene (BaP) is one of the strongest carcinogenic compounds among polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) .We previously identified the ITB9 strain of Olleya species, which shows BaP-degrading activity; our report was the first about BaP degradation by the genus Olleya. In this study, BaP-degradation efficiency by ITB9 was about 50% when the strain was suspended in 20 ml of L9 liquid medium with 100 μg/ml BaP and 0.2 M NaCl, with pH 8.0, and incubated at 25℃ for 5 days. Under the same conditions, all four type strains (O. marilimosa CIP108537, O. aquimaris KCTC22661, O. namhaensis KCTC23673, and O. algicola KCTC22024) also showed BaP-degrading activities, at efficiencies ranging from 49% to 63%. Olleya sp. ITB9 and O. aquimaris KCTC22661 were found to be in the same clade in the phylogenetic tree of the genus Olleya, given that the homology of 16S rRNA gene sequences between ITB9 and KCTC22661 was 99.77%.

Mammalian adult females develop specialized body parts, namely mammary glands and uterus, and exhibit specialized maternal behavior, lactation/nursing and care for their offspring. As the brain plays an essential role in regulating related physiological functions in the body, the morphology or function of the mammalian brain has been modified to manage newly equipped structures and functions. However, this evolutionary process is largely unknown. Pou3f2/Brn2 is an evolutionarily remarkable gene as it contains mammal-specific base sequences encoding three stretches of homopolymeric amino acids (polyAAs): poly-glycine (polyG), poly-glutamine (polyQ), and poly-proline (polyP). Previously, we demonstrated that POU3F2 acquisition of mammal-specific polyAAs contributed to the establishment of behaviors characteristic of mammals. Here, we demonstrated that Pou3f2⊿ mice displayed basic features required for maternal care. However, Pou3f2⊿ mice exhibited deficits in the reproductive performance and maternal behavior, which were not fully improved by multiparas. Therefore, we extensively investigated pup retrieval behavior and discovered that the retrieval and the exploratory behaviors were impaired in Pou3f2⊿ female mice, but not in males. Altogether, our data suggest that POU3F2 acquisition of mammal-specific polyAAs contributes to the continuous awareness and curiosity needed for maternal interaction.

Pou3f2/Brn2 is a transcription factor that helps to determine the cellular identity of neocortical or hypothalamic neurons. Mammalian Pou3f2 contains three homopolymeric amino acids that are not present in amphibian Pou3f2. These amino acids contribute to monoamine function, which may play specific roles in mammalian development and behavior. Previous work has indicated that Pou3f2⊿ mice, which lack the homopolymeric amino acids, exhibited declined maternal activity and impaired object and spatial recognition. The current study, analyzed weight gain, brain development, home cage activity, social interaction, and response to novel objects in Pou3f2⊿ mice to determine which aspects of behavior were affected by monoamine dysregulation. Compared to their wild type counterparts, Pou3f2⊿ mice showed decreased social interaction and reduced home cage activity during their active phase. However, they showed normal weight gain, brain development, and responses to novelty. These results indicate that monoamine dysregulation in Pou3f2⊿ mice may specifically affect basal activity and social development, without altering non-social motivation.

3 A -Azido-3 A -deoxy- altro -β-cyclodextrin, which has 20 different hydroxyl groups, was selectively sulfonylated by 1-naphthalenesulfonyl chloride at the 3 G -OH of the glucoside residue as well as the 2 A -OH of the altroside one. Alkali treatment of the 3 G -sulfonate gave successfully the 2 G ,3 G -epoxyalloside with the 3 A -azido group being left unaffected. Both the 3 G -sulfonate and 2 G ,3 G -alloepoxide species of 3 A -azido-3 A -deoxy- altro -β-cyclodextrin not only have two sugar units being modified differently, but also can serve as versatile starting materials for the syntheses of bifunctional cyclodextrins with diverse combination of different functionalities.