The present paper is dedicated to the theoretical evaluation of a loading feature, that may have a significant influence on fatigue phenomenon: non-proportionality. As a matter of fact, considerable interactions between dislocations, leading to the formation of dislocation cells, cause additional cyclic hardening of material. Such a phenomenon is experimentally observed for materials sensitive to non-proportionality. In such a context, the present paper is aimed to propose a novel multiaxial strain-based criterion, the refined equivalent deformation (RED) criterion, which allows to take into account, in fatigue life estimation, both strain amplitude and additional cyclic hardening. The accuracy of the novel criterion is evaluated by considering experimental tests, performed on Ti-6Al-4V specimens, subjected to multiaxial LCF loading.

Keywords: LCF; Ti-6Al-4V; additional cyclic hardening; critical plane; non-proportional loading.

Purpose: There is a large variation in mydriatic regimens used in screening for retinopathy in preterm infants. Except for the standard instillation of mydriatic drops in their commercial formulation, other techniques for pupil dilation have also been described. This study aimed to review all techniques that have been used for mydriasis in retinopathy of prematurity eye examination (ROPEE) screening.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane library, Trip database, and Scopus, using the key words: "mydriasis", "techniques", "mydriatics", "dilating drops", "retinopathy of prematurity", "ROP", "phenylephrine", "cyclopentolate", "tropicamide", "smaller mydriatic drops", "reduction in drop size" to February 2019.

Results: Five primary studies were included, assessing the techniques of microdrops, lower conjunctival fornix (LCF) packing and Mydriasert® ophthalmic insert. Reported efficacy was similar to commercial eyedrops instillation. Microdrops appeared to have a superior safety profile. LCF packing and Mydriasert lead to increased blood pressure, without serious complications, necessitating further safety studies.

Conclusions: Of all alternative mydriasis techniques for ROPEE screening that have been described, microdrops appear to be the safest yet still effective technique in the fragile population of premature infants in risk of ROP.

Keywords: Dilation; Mydriasis; Mydriatics; Preterm infants; Retinopathy of prematurity.

Perfluoroalkylated acids (PFAAs) are ubiquitous xenobiotic substances characterized by high persistence, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity, which have attracted global attention due to their widespread presence in both water and biota. In this study, the main objective was to assess PFAAs uptake and accumulation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) when fed with reclaimed wastewaters that are usually discharged onto a surface water body. Lettuce and spinach were grown in hydroponic solutions, exposed to two different municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and compared with a spiked-PFAAs aqueous solution (nominal concentration of 500 ng L^-1 for each perfluoroalkyl acid). Eleven perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and three perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids were determined in the hydroponic solution, as well as quantified at the end of the growing cycle in crop roots and shoots. Water and dry plant biomass extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem spectrometry LC-MS/MS technique. The bioconcentration factor of roots (RCF), shoots (LCF), and the root-shoot translocation factor (TF) were quantified. In general, results showed that PFAAs in crop tissues increased at increasing PFAAs water values. Moreover some PFAAs concentrations (especially PFBA, PFBS, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFHxS) were different in both shoots and roots of lettuce and spinach, regardless of the type of water. The long C-chain PFAAs (≥9) were always below the detection threshold in WWTPs effluents. However, when PFAAs were detected, similar bioconcentration parameters were found between crops regardless the type of water. A sigmoidal RCF pattern was found as the perfluorinated chain length increased, plus a linear TF decrease. Comparing bioconcentration factor results with findings of previous studies, lettuce RCF value of PFCAs with perfluorinated chain length ≤ 9 and PFSAs was up to 10 times greater.

Keywords: Bioaccumulation; PFAAs; Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids; Perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids; Translocation; Uptake.

Background and aims: Dual purchasers of alcohol and tobacco are at increased health risk from the interacting health impacts of alcohol and tobacco use. They are also at financial risk from exposure to the dual financial cost of policies that increase alcohol and tobacco prices. Understanding whose alcohol and tobacco use exposes them to these health and financial risks is important for understanding the inequality impacts of control policies. This study explores the extent to which household spending on alcohol and tobacco combined varies between socio-economic groups and compares this with results for households which purchase only one of the commodities.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of household-level alcohol and tobacco purchasing data.

Setting: United Kingdom, 2012-17.

Participants/cases: A total of 26 021 households.

Measurements: We analysed transaction-level data from individual 14-day spending diaries in the Living Cost and Food Survey (LCFS). We used this to calculate expenditure, volumes of alcohol and tobacco purchased, and the price paid per unit of alcohol (1 unit = 8 g) and per stick of tobacco. This was compared with equivalized total expenditure and quintiles of equivalized household income. Prices were calibrated and pack sizes were imputed using empirical sales data from Nielsen/CGA to correct for reporting bias.

Findings: Dual purchasing households spent [95% confidence interval] more on alcohol and more on tobacco than their single-purchasing counterparts. In general, lower-income households spent less on both alcohol and tobacco than higher-income households. Furthermore, dual purchasing households in the lowest income group were most exposed to potential increases in price than were other income groups, with (CI = 12.41-13.15%) of their total household budget spent on alcohol and tobacco.

Conclusions: Dual purchasers of alcohol and tobacco in the United Kingdom appear to be concentrated evenly among income groups. However, dual purchasers may experience particularly large effects from pricing policies, as they spend a substantially higher proportion of their overall household expenditure on alcohol and tobacco than do households that purchase only one of the commodities.

Keywords: Alcohol; consumption patterns; dual purchasers; joint household expenditure; socio-economic inequalities; tobacco.

Recently, some studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of two latent variable approaches in which hand preferences are analysed using either latent class methods or latent class factor (LCF) methods. The main aims of this study are: (i) to establish whether these approaches are adequate for assessing footedness, (ii) to evaluate their appropriateness when hand and foot preferences are jointly analysed, and (iii) to measure the association between handedness and footedness based on the examined latent variable models. To this end, a dataset providing information about the limb used to perform ten hand actions and three foot movements by 2236 young Italian sportspeople is analysed. The first aim is pursued through an exploratory analysis of the observed foot preferences; according to this analysis, footedness patterns are adequately described by two latent levels of footedness. As far as the second aim is concerned, a confirmatory analysis of foot and hand preferences is carried out; the best fit to the dataset is obtained using a two-dimensional LCF model with four latent levels of handedness and two latent levels of footedness. Finally, the association between handedness and footedness resulting from the employed methods is remarkably lower than that registered in other studies.

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program specifies a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction threshold for cellulosic biofuels, while the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program in California does not. Here, we investigate the effects of the GHG threshold under the RFS on projected GHG savings from two corn stover-based biofuel supply chain systems in the United States Midwest. The analysis is based on a techno-economic framework that minimizes ethanol selling price. The GHG threshold lowers the lifecycle GHG of ethanol: 34.39 ± 4.92 gCO₂ MJ^-1 in the RFS-compliant system and 46.30 ± 10.05 gCO₂ MJ^-1 in the non RFS-compliant system. However, hypothetical biorefinery systems complying with the RFS will not process the more GHG-intensive corn stover, and thus much less biofuel will be produced compared to the non RFS-compliant system. Thus, taken as a whole, the non RFS-compliant system would achieve more GHG savings than an RFS-compliant system: 10.7 TgCO₂ year^-1 in the non RFS-compliant system compared with 4.4 TgCO₂ year^-1 in the RFS-compliant system. These results suggest that the current RFS GHG reduction threshold may not be the most efficient way to carry out the purposes of the Energy Security and Independence Act in the corn stover-based biofuel system: relaxing the threshold could actually increase the overall GHG savings from corn stover-based biofuels. Therefore, the LCFS-type regulatory approach is recommended for the corn stover-based cellulosic biofuel system under the RFS program. In addition, our calculation of the GHG balance for stover-based biofuel accounts for SOC losses, while the current RFS estimates do not include effects on SOC.

Previously, a predictive model was developed to identify optimal blends of expensive high-quality and cheaper low-quality feedstocks for a given geographical location that can deliver high sugar yields. In this study, the optimal process conditions were tested for application at commercially-relevant higher biomass loadings. We observed lower sugar yields but 100% conversion to ethanol from a blend that contained only 20% high-quality feedstock. The impact of applying this predictive model simultaneously with least cost formulation model for a biorefinery location outside of the US Corn Belt in Lee County, Florida was investigated. A blend ratio of 0.30 EC, 0.45 SG, and 0.25 CS in Lee County was necessary to produce sugars at high yields and ethanol at a capacity of 50 MMGY. This work demonstrates utility in applying predictive model and LCF to reduce feedstock costs and supply chain risks while optimizing for product yields.

The globally distributed heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kofoid & Swezy is well known for its dense blooms and prominent displays of bioluminescence. Intriguingly, along the west coast of the USA its blooms are not bioluminescent. We investigated the basis for the regional loss of bioluminescence using molecular, cellular and biochemical analyses of isolates from different geographic regions. Prominent differences of the non-bioluminescent strains were: (1) the fused luciferase and luciferin binding protein gene (lcf/lbp) was present but its transcripts were undetectable; (2) lcf/lbp contained multiple potentially deleterious mutations; (3) the substrate luciferin was absent, based on the lack of luciferin blue autofluorescence and the absence of luciferin derived metabolites; (4) although the cells possessed scintillons, the vesicles that contain the luminescent chemistry, electron microscopy revealed additional scintillon-like vesicles with an atypical internal structure; (5) cells isolated from the California coast were 43% smaller in size than bioluminescent cells from the Gulf of Mexico. Phylogenetic analyses based on the large subunit of rDNA did not show divergence of the non-bioluminescent population in relation to other bioluminescent N. scintillans from the Pacific Ocean and Arabian Sea. Our study demonstrates that gene silencing and the lack of the luciferin substrate have resulted in the loss of a significant dinoflagellate functional trait over large spatial scales in the ocean. As the bioluminescence system of dinoflagellates is well characterized, non-bioluminescent N. scintillans is an ideal model to explore the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms that lead to intraspecific functional divergence in natural dinoflagellate populations.

Keywords: Functional diversity; Luciferase; Luciferin; Scintillon.

The predictive method of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) estimates crash frequency by applying an uncalibrated safety performance function (SPF) and a set of uncalibrated crash modification factors (CMFs) to each location individually; then the predicted crashes must be adjusted by a local calibration factor (LCF) at the aggregate level for at least 30-50 sites per SPF. Although this calibration procedure assures total predicted crashes will be localized, still the prediction of crashes for individual locations suffers from the aggregate localization process. An alternative approach of locally calibrating the HSM predictive method is proposed to improve prediction quality at individual locations while maintaining equality of total observed and total predicted crashes. The methodology incorporates multiple calibration factors for different components of the predictive method (SPF parameters and CMFs) rather than a single calibration factor as recommended by the HSM that only calibrates at the aggregate level. In the proposed method, the application of calibration factors expressed in both weight and power function better reflects the local conditions while still ensuring calibration at the aggregate level. The parameters are estimated through an optimization process of five different methods. Rural two-lane, two-way roads (R2U) data was used from the states of Maryland, Illinois, and Washington. A tool named "Roadway Safety Data Integrator (RSDI)" was developed for data preparation. Different Goodness-of-Fit measures along with CURE plots indicated that the proposed method performed significantly better than the HSM calibration method, calibration function (that will most likely be calibration process in the HSM 2^nd edition), calibrated Washington models (for the case of Washington data), and some alternative calibration methods suggested by past studies. Moreover, the results indicated that the additional parameters for CMFs could improve the prediction significantly; a previous study did not find this to be so due to data limitations, but we have improved the methodology and are not so limited. Application of the proposed approach can lead to more accurate identification of hot-spots and site-specific strategies. Considering the limitations of this study, some avenues for further research are discussed.

The influence of human bone marrow fibroblastic cells (FC) on the proliferation of K562 leukemic colony-forming cells (LCF-C) was studied. FC derived from normal subjects and patients with acute leukemia were used. The growth of LCF-C was evaluated by colony-forming efficiency in soft agar. Inhibition of leukemic colony formation was produced by FC from normal subjects and patients with acute leukemia. While the degree of inhibition by FC from patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia was almost the same as that by those from the normal subjects, that by FC from patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia was lower than that by those from normal individuals. Both conditioned media obtained from FC and contact of their FC with LCF-C in dishes for four hr inhibited leukemic colony formation. These data show that leukemic stem cells are inhibited by bone marrow FC through cell-to-cell contact or humoral factors derived from FC.

The mean stress effect in fatigue life varies by material and loading conditions. Therefore, a classical low cycle fatigue (LCF) model based on mean stress correction shows limits in asymmetric loading cases in both accuracy and applicability. In this paper, the effect of strain ratio (R) on LCF life is analyzed and a strain ratio-based model is presented for asymmetric loading cases. Two correction factors are introduced to express correlations between strain ratio and fatigue strength coefficient and between strain ratio and fatigue ductility coefficient. Verifications are conducted through four materials under different strain ratios: high-pressure tubing steel (HPTS), 2124-T851 aluminum alloy, epoxy resin and AZ61A magnesium alloy. Compared with current widely used LCF models, the proposed model shows a better life prediction accuracy and higher potential in implementation in symmetric and asymmetric loading cases for different materials. It is also found that the strain ratio-based correction is able to consider the damage of ratcheting strain that the mean stress-based models cannot.

Keywords: asymmetric loading; life prediction; low cycle fatigue; mean stress; strain ratio.

To evaluate the frequency of right ventricular dysfunction following recovery from myocardial infarction (MI) and the relationship of segmental right ventricular (RV) wall motion abnormalities to left ventricular (LV) function or location of coronary arterial stenosis, biplane right and left ventricular cineangiograms were obtained in 100 consecutive patients (4 +/- 3 months post MI). Thirty (group A) had anterior MI and significant stenosis or obstruction of left anterior descending artery (LAD). The remaining 70 patients had inferior MI. They were divided into three groups according to the site of the main coronary stenosis or obstruction and corresponding LV akinesia: right coronary artery (RCA) proximal to the acute marginal artery (RMA), (group B: 32 patients), RCA distal to the RMA (group C: 18 patients), left circumflex artery (LCF), (group D: 18 patients). RV and LV end-diastolic volume index (EDV), end-systolic volume index (ESV), stroke volume (SV) and ejection fraction (EF) have been determined. RV segmental wall motion was assessed in RAO and LAO projection by determining the percentage of systolic shortening (+ delta R) along 11 hemiaxes. Mean axial shortening (delta R) of the RV inferior and free walls were considered. When compared with that in 10 normal subjects, RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), RV end-systolic volume (RVESV) were increased and RV ejection fraction (RVEF) was lower in patients with anterior or inferior MI. Inferior delta R exhibited comparable sequential changes in the three groups of inferior MI and similar LVEF alteration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

BACKGROUND

To develop and test a lumped parameter model to simulate and compare the effects of the simultaneous use of continuous flow (CF) and pulsatile flow (PF) ventricular assist devices (VADs) to assist biventricular circulation vs. single ventricle circulation in pediatrics.

METHODS

Baseline data of 5 patients with biventricular circulation eligible for LVAD and of 5 patients with Fontan physiology were retrospectively collected and used to simulate patient baselines. Then, for each patient the following simulations were performed: (a) CF VAD to assist the left ventricle (single ventricle) + a PF VAD to assist the right ventricle (cavo-pulmonary connection) (LCF + RPF); (b) PF VAD to assist the left ventricle (single ventricle) + a CF VAD to assist the right ventricle (cavo-pulmonary connection) (RCF + LPF).

RESULTS

In biventricular circulation, the following results were found: cardiac output (17% RCF + LPF, 21% LCF + RPF), artero-ventricular coupling (-36% for the left ventricle and -21.6% for the right ventricle), pulsatility index (+6.4% RCF + LPF, p = 0.02; -8.5% LCF + RPF, p = 0.00009). Right (left) atrial pressure and right (left) ventricular volumes are decreased by the RCF + LPF (by RPF + LCF). Pulmonary arterial pressure decreases in the LCF + RPF configuration. In Fontan physiology: cardiac output (LCF + RPF 35% vs. 8% in RCF + LPF), ventricular preload (+4% RCF + LPF, -10% LCF + RPF), Fontan conduit pressure (-5% RCF + LPF, +7% LCF + RPF), artero-ventricular coupling (-14% RCF + LPF vs. -41% LCF + RPF) and pulsatility (+13% RCF + LPF, - 8% LCF + RPF).

CONCLUSIONS

A numerical model supports clinicians in defining and innovating the VAD implantation strategy to maximize the hemodynamic benefits. Results suggest that the hemodynamic benefits are maximized by the LCF + RPF configuration.

BACKGROUND

Medical and surgical complications are common after brain lesions and may require acute care unit readmission (ACUR) during the rehabilitation stay. This clinical phenomenon has not been explored in subjects with severe brain injury (sBI).

OBJECTIVE

Because sBI patients come from the intensive care unit (ICU), patients may be transferred to rehabilitation before complete clinical stabilization. We investigated ACUR and causes as well as whether those who required ACUR had different functional outcomes.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study.

METHODS

Dedicated rehabilitation setting.

METHODS

Adult subjects with sBI causing a disorder of consciousness graded 3-8 on the Glasgow Coma Scale admitted to a dedicated rehabilitative setting were prospectively enrolled from January 2014 to December 2015.

METHODS

Functional outcome was investigated using the Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive Functioning (LCF), Disability Rating Scale (DRS), Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS), in subjects with and without ACUR, at admission and discharge. Mortality and length of stay (LOS) were recorded.

RESULTS

One hundred-thirty (53 F, 77 M; mean age: 55.7±17.8) subjects were admitted to the rehabilitation setting, and 97 were enrolled (43 F, 54 M; mean age: 54.7±18.2). Thirty-six ACUR were detected that involved 29 (29.8%) patients. There were 20 and 16 referrals to acute medical and surgical care, respectively. Significant functional outcomes in all assessment measures were observed after rehabilitation, but subjects without ACUR showed significant improvement in all measurements: LCF (P=0.001), DRS (P<0.001), GOS (P=0.003), and mRS (P<0.001), compared to those who required ACUR. At baseline, patients with ACUR were more disabled than those without ACUR, and they had significant lower LCF scores: 2.60 (95% CI: 2.15-3.14) and 3.47 (95% CI: 3.07-3.91) (P=0.013), respectively. Significant longer LOS was observed in subjects with ACUR as compared to those without ACUR: 120 (q1-q3:93-165) vs. 63 (q1-q3: 38-93) days (P<0.001), respectively. The intra-hospital mortality rate was higher in patients who required ACUR (8.1 events per 100 person-months) as compared to those who did not require ACUR (2.8 events per 100 person-months).

CONCLUSIONS

Readmission to acute care was common in subjects with sBI during rehabilitation. Subjects who required ACUR had poorer functional outcomes, higher risk of mortality and longer LOS than subjects without ACUR.

CONCLUSIONS

Careful control of these subjects and more strict collaboration and communication among physicians on the rehabilitative team are required to plan proper care pathways.

The bioluminescence reaction in dinoflagellates involves the oxidation of an open-chain tetrapyrrole by the enzyme dinoflagellate luciferase (LCF). The activity of LCF is tightly regulated by pH, where the enzyme is essentially inactive at pH ∼8 and optimally active at pH ∼6. Little is known about the mechanism of LCF or the structure of the active form of the enzyme, although it has been proposed that several intramolecularly conserved histidine residues in the N-terminal region are important for the pH regulation mechanism. Here, constant pH accelerated molecular dynamics was employed to gain insight into the conformational activation of LCF induced by acidification.

The heart rate variability of 10 healthy males (age 26 - 4/+ 3 y) and 49 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (25 males, 24 females, age 29.5 - 11.5/+ 10.5 y) was studied. We applied Kramers-Moyal expansion to extract the drift and diffusion terms of the Langevin equation for the RR interval time series. These terms may be used for a stochastic reconstruction of the time series and for description of the properties of heart rate variability. New parameters characterizing the diffusion term are proposed: the coefficients of the linear fit to the left (LCF) and right (RCF) branch of the dependence of the diffusion term on the rescaled heart rate. Relations of the new parameters to classical echocardiography parameters were studied. Using the relation between the difference LCF-RCF and the left ventricular systolic diameter, the HCM patients studied were divided into three groups. In addition, comparison of the properties of the heart rate variability in the HCM group with that obtained for the healthy young men showed that the parameter LCF-RCF may be treated as a measure of the effect of HCM on heart rate variability and may have diagnostic value.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of average contact force (CF) and its regional variability during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) on periprocedural parameters and midterm outcome.

This retrospective cohort study enrolled 57 drug-refractory AF patients who underwent initial PVI for AF using an open-irrigated CF catheter (SmartTouch Thermocool, Biosense Webster, Diamond Bar, CA, USA). Thirty patients were assigned to a lower CF (LCF) group (average CF≤10g) and 27 patients to a higher CF (HCF) group (average CF>10g). The relationship between CF and clinical outcome was analyzed.

Patients were followed-up for 317±57 days after PVI. The CF was 8.1±1.3g in the LCF group and 12.4±1.5g in the HCF group. Higher average CF was associated with shorter ablation time (28±6min vs. 36±9min, p=0.0002) and lower radiofrequency energy delivery (79±18 vs. 99±26, p=0.0016) for PVI. The rate of acute PV reconnection (APVR) was similar in both groups (LCF group 60% vs. HCF group 44%, p=0.36). Four patients (13%) in the LCF group and nine patients (33%) in the HCF group experienced AF-recurrence. Average CF did not impact on AF-recurrence during midterm clinical outcome (p=0.09 by log-rank test). In the non-recurrence group (n=44), average CF was higher at left posterosuperior PV and right anteroinferior PV than that in the recurrence group (n=13) (p=0.012 and p=0.004, respectively).

Higher average CF decreased ablation time and radiofrequency energy delivery for PVI, but did not decrease APVR rate or improve midterm clinical outcome.

Although quantitative analysis of postexercise thallium-201 (201Tl) scintigrams has been employed clinically for the diagnosis of coronary disease, the precise relationship of the quantitated defects to microsphere determined blood flow has not been determined. Accordingly, 201Tl was injected during exercise in 12 control dogs and seven with left circumflex (LCf) artery stenosis. Gamma camera scanning was started 10 min after 201Tl injection and continued for 3 hr. In the control animals, scintigraphic 201Tl activities in left anterior descending (LAD) and LCf perfusion territories were equal 10 min after 201Tl injection and the loss of 201Tl activity over 3 hr was 54.3 +/- 3.4% and 57.0 +/- 3.6% (mean +/- s.e.e.) of initial LAD and LCf activity, respectively (p = N.S.). In the experimental group, LCf activity 10-14 min after 201Tl injection averaged 67.4 +/- 5.9% of LAD activity in the same heart (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, LCf activity in the experimental animals was significantly lower than LCf activity in the control dogs (p less than 0.005), while LAD activities were not different in the two groups. The ratio of LCf/LAD scintigraphic 201Tl activity immediately after exercise was linearly related to, but higher than, the ratio of regional blood flows at peak exercise (r = 0.88, p less than 0.001) as determined by microsphere injection. Scintigraphic redistribution was also correlated with directly measured redistribution determined by well counter analysis (r = 0.83, p less than 0.025). Thus, in this exercise model, quantitative 201Tl scintigraphy accurately assessed the initial postexercise flow disparity and subsequent redistribution.

The objectives of this study were to quantitatively evaluate the gender differences in the lip-closing force (LCF) generated during pursing-like lip-closing movement using a multidirectional LCF measurement system in healthy young adults. In 40 healthy subjects (20 women, 20 men; median age = 26·5 years, range = 22-41 years), LCF was recorded in eight directions during the performance of a voluntary pursing-like lip-closing task in four measurement sessions. The correlations between the total sum of the forces generated in all eight directions [total LCF (TLCF)] and each directional LCF (DLCF) and those between opposing DLCF were statistically analysed. The TLCF obtained from the highly reproducible measurements acquired in the four different sessions was normally distributed in both genders. The TLCF in men was significantly greater than that in women. Among the eight pairs of opposing DLCF, seven pairs of opposing DLCF showed significant correlations in men, while five pairs were significantly correlated in women. In men, no significant difference was observed between opposing DLCF; however, three pairs of opposing DLCF were significantly different in women. The present results quantitatively indicate that there are gender differences in the magnitude and directional specificity of the LCF produced during pursing-like lip-closing movement in healthy young adults.

The presence of ferrihydrite in sediments/soils is critical to the cycling of iron (Fe) and many other elements but difficult to quantify. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy has been used to speciate Fe in the solid phase, but this method is thought to have difficulties in distinguishing ferrihydrite from goethite and other minerals. In this study, both conventional EXAFS linear combination fitting (LCF) and the method of standard-additions are applied to the same samples in attempt to quantify ferrihydrite and goethite more rigorously. Natural aquifer sediments from Bangladesh and the United States were spiked with known quantities of ferrihydrite, goethite and magnetite, and analyzed by EXAFS. Known mineral mixtures were also analyzed. Evaluations of EXAFS spectra of mineral references and EXAFS-LCF fits on various samples indicate that ferrihydrite and microcrystalline goethite can be distinguished and quantified by EXAFS-LCF but that the choice of mineral references is critical to yield consistent results. Conventional EXAFS-LCF and the method of standard-additions both identified appreciable amount of ferrihydrite in Bangladesh sediments that were obtained from a low-arsenic Pleistocene aquifer. Ferrihydrite was also independently detected by sequential extraction and 57Fe Mӧssbauer spectroscopy. These observations confirm the accuracy of conventional EXAFS-LCF and demonstrate that combining EXAFS with additions of reference materials provides a more robust means of quantifying short-range-ordered minerals in complex samples.

While LCF is present in BAL early after antigen challenge, we know little about its other potential effects beyond CD4+ T cell, monocyte, and eosinophil chemotaxis and monocyte and CD4+ T cell activation. The work described here focuses on the hypothesis that the secreted protein products of T cells participate in the airway inflammatory process that underlies human asthma, and in particular that LCF could play an early role because of the unusual responsiveness of LCF-producing T to histamine. To date, most studies have addressed the measurement of cytokines derived from CD4+ T cells (e.g., IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, and GM-CSF) in the airways of asthmatics, and attempted to correlate the presence of protein or mRNA with the complexion of the inflammatory infiltrate. These studies have been based upon the reports that there are increased numbers of CD4+ T cells in the airways of asthmatics, and that the presence of eosinophils might correlate with the secretion of TH2-type cytokines like IL-3, -4, and -5. Using this information as a background, our work has approached the problem in an entirely different way. We have focused our attention on the early events in antigen-induced asthma that are responsible for CD4+ cell accumulation in the lung, including CD4+ T cells, eosinophils, and monocytes. We have attempted to identify mechanisms by which mast cell mediators, in particular histamine, might play a role in the secretion of chemotactic lymphokines that are selective for CD4+ cells by using CD4 itself as a chemotactic factor receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

BACKGROUND

Cardiac arrest (CA) is a common cause of disability. Multimodal evaluation has improved prognosis but precocious biomarkers are not appropriate in determining long-term functional outcome.

OBJECTIVE

To identify early prognostication markers of long-term functional outcome in post-anoxic coma.

METHODS

Retrospective assessment of outcomes.

METHODS

Individuals older than 18 years with post-anoxic coma hospitalized in intensive care units after cardiac arrest (CA) regardless of cause (cardiac or non-cardiac) and location of event (in or out-of-hospital).

METHODS

Clinical, biological and neurophysiological data were collected within 48 hours from CA. Clinical data included time of no and low flow, CA rhythm, pupillary reflex, Glasgow motor score at admission and hyperthermia. Biological marker was the highest creatinine level. Neurophysiological parameters included EEG pattern and reactivity, Somatosensory Evoked Potential (SSEP), and Middle-Latency (ML) SSEP evoked at low (10 mA) and high (50 mA) intensity stimulation. Level of Cognitive Functioning Scale (LCFS), Disability Rating Scale and recovery from coma (Revised coma Recovery Scale [CRS-R]) were collected at 12 months. A LASSO multiple regression analysis was fitted to data to investigate the best predictors of LCF, DRS and CRS-R. In-sample prediction was obtained to verify the quality of fitting, and accuracy indices (i.e., total error rate) produced.

RESULTS

Presence of short and medium latency SSEPs with low and high stimulation intensity were identified as prognostic predictors of outcome for all the scales. Error rate was 4.5% for CRS and LCF, and 9.1% for DRS.

CONCLUSIONS

Middle latency somatosensory evoked potentials associated with short latency somatosensory evoked potentials during the first 48 hours after a cardiac arrest are strong predictors of functional outcome at 12 months from the event. Replication on larger cohorts is needed to support their routine use as prognostic markers.

CONCLUSIONS

These markers could inform more appropriate allocation of resources, provide a basis for realistic goal-setting, and help the family to adjust its expectations.

Phosphorus (P) K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra of orthophosphate (oPO4) bound to soil FeIII minerals (e.g. ferrihydrite, goethite) show a pre-edge signal at 2148-2152 eV. It is unknown whether organic P bound to FeIII oxyhydroxides also show this feature. Otherwise, Fe-bound soil P may be underestimated by P K-edge XANES spectroscopy, because a large portion of Fe oxyhydroxide-bound P in soils is organic P. K-edge XANES spectra were obtained for different organic P compounds present in soils [inositol hexaphosphate (IHP), glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), adenosine triphosphate (ATP)] after sorption to ferrihydrite or goethite and compared with spectra of oPO4 adsorbed to these minerals. P sorption to ferrihydrite increased in the sequence IHP ≪ G6P < oPO4 < ATP. P sorption to goethite increased in the sequence G6P < oPO4 ≪ ATP = IHP. Pre-edge signals in P K-edge XANES spectra of organic P adsorbed to Fe oxyhydroxides were markedly smaller compared with those of oPO4 adsorbed to these minerals and absent for FeIII oxyhydroxide-bound ATP as well as goethite-bound IHP. Linear combination fitting (LCF) performed on spectra of IHP, G6P or ATP adsorbed to ferrihydrite or goethite, using only spectra of FeIII oxyhydroxide-bound oPO4 as reference compounds for Fe-bound P, erroneously assigned >93% (ferrihydrite) or >41% (goethite) of Fe-bound P to non-Fe-bound P species. Inclusion of FeIII oxyhydroxide-bound IHP as reference compounds markedly increased the recovery of oxyhydroxide-bound organic P. Thus, Fe-bound soil P has probably often been underestimated by LCF in soil XANES studies where IHP adsorbed to ferrihydrite and to goethite were not included as reference compounds.