The free thyroxine index (FTI) and a free thyroxine (FT4) assay were compared with the thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test in 98 consecutive patients to determine whether the FT4 assay is more sensitive than the FTI in screening patients for minimal hypothyroidism. FTI and FT4 values did not agree with the clinical evaluation in 20% (3/15) of the patients with a transitional thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) response (21 to 35 microU/ml) and in 64.3% (9/14) of the patients with an augmented TSH response (greater than 35 microU/ml). From these results we conclude that the FT4 assay is no more sensitive than the FTI in detection of such minimal thyroid dysfunction.

BACKGROUND

Both walking and running contain the same cyclical movement phases; however, they differ greatly in time proportions, as well as magnitude of acting forces. The objective of this study was to ascertain that the regular jogging activity induced the adaptive modifications of foot pressure distribution pattern in fore-aft and lateral-medial dimensions during walking for female joggers.

METHODS

The research base consisted of 96 women between 20 and 50 years of age, and included 50 female active joggers, and 46 of female non-joggers. The study was performed with the use of an EMED-SF force platform. Two parameters describing the plantar surface of the foot loading were established, namely force time integral (FTI) and pressure time integral (PTI). Two indicators were defined: percentage medial impulse acc. to Bowen and metatarsals and toes loading ratio acc. to Nagel.

RESULTS

Our study showed lower PTI and FTI for the both feet big toes in the female joggers group. What is more, our research results indicate that regular jogging increases loading of metatarsus and lateral side relatively to toes and medial side, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The observed differences in foot pressure distribution patterns in both groups included in the current study proved the substantial influence of jogging on adaptive functional changes of walking pattern.

During radiofrequency (RF) ablation, low electrode-tissue contact force (CF) is associated with ineffective RF lesion formation, whereas excessive CF may increase the risk of steam pop and perforation. Recently, ablation catheters using two technologies have been developed to measure real-time catheter-tissue CF. One catheter uses three optical fibers to measure microdeformation of a deformable body in the catheter tip. The other catheter uses a small spring connecting the ablation tip electrode to the catheter shaft with a magnetic transmitter and sensors to measure microdeflection of the spring. Pre-clinical experimental studies have shown that 1) at constant RF power and application time, RF lesion size significantly increases with increasing CF; 2) the incidence of steam pop and thrombus also increase with increasing CF; 3) modulating RF power based on CF (i.e, high RF power at low CF and lower RF power at high CF) results in a similar and predictable RF lesion size. In clinical studies in patients undergoing pulmonary vein (PV) isolation, CF during mapping in the left atrium and PVs showed a wide range of CF and transient high CF. The most common high CF site was located at the anterior/rightward left atrial roof, directly beneath the ascending aorta. There was a poor relationship between CF and previously used surrogate parameters for CF (unipolar or bipolar atrial potential amplitude and impedance). Patients who underwent PV isolation with an average CF of <10 g experienced higher AF recurrence, whereas patients with ablation using an average CF of>> 20g had lower AF recurrence. AF recurred within 12 months in 6 of 8 patients (75%) who had a mean Force-Time Integral (FTI, area under the curve for contact force vs. time) < 500 gs. In contrast, AF recurred in only 4 of 13 patients (21%) with ablation using a mean FTI >1000 gs. In another study, controlling RF power based on CF prevented steam pop and impedance rise without loss of lesion effectiveness. These studies confirm that CF is a major determinant of RF lesion size and future systems combining CF, RF power and application time may provide real-time assessment of lesion formation.

The diagnosis of central hypothyroidism is often suspected in patients with hypothalamic/pituitary pathology, in the setting of low, normal, or even slightly elevated serum TSH and low free thyroxine (FT4). We present four cases of central hypothyroidism (three had known pituitary pathology) in whom central hypothyroidism was diagnosed after the serum free thyroxine index (FTI) was found to be low. All had normal range serum TSH and free thyroxine levels. This report illustrates that the assessment of the serum FTI may be helpful in making the diagnosis of central hypothyroidism in the appropriate clinical setting and when free T4 is in the low-normal range, particularly in patients with multiple anterior pituitary hormone deficiencies and/or with symptoms suggestive of hypothyroidism.

CONCLUSIONS

Osteoporosis in men is underestimated, but our data point to an increasing prevalence rate in those over 70 years old with body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m(2), bioavailable testosterone <2.7 nmol/L, bioavailable estradiol <40 pmol/L, and high bone turnover, defined in this study as serum carboxyterminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) >4.3 microg/L.

BACKGROUND

The association of sex steroids and osteoporosis was evaluated in 104 men, aged 50-93 years old.

METHODS

Bone mineral density (BMD), bone turnover (ICTP), testosterone (T), and estradiol (E(2)) were measured; free and bioavailable hormones (free testosterone index [FTI], BioT, free estradiol index [FEI], and BioE(2)) were calculated from T, E(2), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and albumin. Nonparametric analysis and Poisson regression models were used.

RESULTS

Significant increases in SHBG and ICTP and decreases in femoral neck BMD, FTI, FEI, BioT, and BioE(2) were observed with each additional decade of age. Femoral neck BMD was inversely correlated with ICTP, and both were significantly associated with SHBG, FTI, BioT, FEI, and BioE. There was a direct and graded association between age and osteoporosis prevalence rate (OP PR; p = 0.028). Compared to participants less than 70 years old, the crude OP PR of those 80 years and older was 3.2 (95%CI = 1.4-7.3). Adjusting sequentially for BMI and bioavailable sex hormones attenuated the association between age and osteoporosis prevalence by 55% and 77%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data support the view that low BMI and declining sex steroids explain most of the association between aging, increased bone turnover, and osteoporosis in men.

Background: The present study investigated the role of temperament and attachment security in predicting individual differences in the five factor personality traits among adults. As previous studies suggested the potential moderating role of attachment in the association between temperament and personality traits, the present study sought to examine an interactionist model combining attachment and temperament in explaining individual differences in personality traits.

Methods: A sample of 1871 participants (1151 women and 719 men) completed self-report measures of adult attachment style (the Relationships Questionnaire-RQ), temperament dimension (the Fisher Temperament Inventory-FTI), and personality domain (the Five Factor Model-FFM).

Results: Partial correlational analyses revealed associations between attachment security and each of the five domains of the FFM, and few associations between some temperament dimensions and several domains of the FFM. Moderated regression analyses showed that attachment security moderated the associations between temperament dimensions and the Agreeableness domain of the FFM. Among secure individuals, those with higher scores on the Curious/Energetic, Cautious/Social Norm Compliant and Prosocial/Empathetic scales exhibited higher Agreeableness scores, whereas among insecure individuals, those with higher scores on the Analytic/Tough-minded scale exhibited lower scores on the Agreeableness scale.

Conclusion: Overall, the current study provides evidence in support of the substantive role of social-environmental factors (Adult Attachment) as a moderating element bridging temperament-related personality elements and a number of their FFM manifestations.

Keywords: attachment; personality; temperament.

The human hand can detect both form and texture information of a contact surface. The detection of skin displacement (sustained stimulus) and changes in skin displacement (transient stimulus) are thought to be mediated in different tactile channels; however, tactile form perception may use both types of information. Here, we studied whether both the temporal frequency and the temporal coherency information of tactile stimuli encoded in sensory neurons could be used to recognize the form of contact surfaces. We used the fishbone tactile illusion (FTI), a known tactile phenomenon, as a probe for tactile form perception in humans. This illusion typically occurs with a surface geometry that has a smooth bar and coarse textures in its adjacent areas. When stroking the central bar back and forth with a fingertip, a human observer perceives a hollow surface geometry even though the bar is physically flat. We used a passive high-density pin matrix to extract only the vertical information of the contact surface, suppressing tangential displacement from surface rubbing. Participants in the psychological experiment reported indented surface geometry by tracing over the FTI textures with pin matrices of the different spatial densities (1.0 and 2.0 mm pin intervals). Human participants reported that the relative magnitude of perceived surface indentation steeply decreased when pins in the adjacent areas vibrated in synchrony. To address possible mechanisms for tactile form perception in the FTI, we developed a computational model of sensory neurons to estimate temporal patterns of action potentials from tactile receptive fields. Our computational data suggest that (1) the temporal asynchrony of sensory neuron responses is correlated with the relative magnitude of perceived surface indentation and (2) the spatiotemporal change of displacements in tactile stimuli are correlated with the asynchrony of simulated sensory neuron responses for the fishbone surface patterns. Based on these results, we propose that both the frequency and the asynchrony of temporal activity in sensory neurons could produce tactile form perception.

Context: There are well-established interactions between the thyroid and the kidney. Thyroid hypofunction is associated with reduced renal plasma flow and hypothyroidism is highly prevalent in chronic kidney disease; however, less is known about the thyroid-kidney axis in the euthyroid state.

Objective: To study the association of thyroid function with renovascular parameters in a well phenotyped cohort of euthyroid normotensive and hypertensive individuals.

Design: Cross sectional study, the HyperPATH Consortium.

Setting: Multi-center study in five US and European academic institutions.

Participants: 789 individuals aged 18-65 years with serum TSH 0.4-5.5 mIU/L. Subjects with uncontrolled or secondary hypertension or on medication affecting the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis were excluded.

Interventions: Hemodynamic parameters including renal plasma flow, thyroid function testing and the Thr92Ala deiodinase 2 polymorphism were assessed in the setting of liberal and restricted salt diet.

Main outcome measures: We searched for associations between thyroid function and renovascular parameters and accounted for confounding factors, such as older age, hypertension and diabetes.

Results: Serum TSH was inversely associated with renal plasma flow assessed in the setting of both liberal and restricted salt diets. This association remained significant and independent when accounting for confounding factors, whereas free thyroxine index (fTI) and the Thr92Ala polymorphism, associated with lower deiodinase 2 catalytic activity and disrupted thyroid hormone tissue availability, were not independently associated with renal plasma flow. Serum TSH remained an independent predictor of renal plasma flow on a liberal salt diet when the analysis was restricted to healthy young individuals.

Conclusions: Serum TSH levels, but not fTI nor the Thr92Ala deiodinase 2 polymorphism, were independently inversely associated with renal plasma flow in individuals of the HyperPATH Consortium. These findings suggest a direct interconnection of TSH and renovascular dynamics even with TSH within reference range, warranting further investigation.

Keywords: TSH; deiodinase type 2; renal plasma flow; renovascular function; thyroid.

A new method is preliminarily validated for the simultaneous analysis of ionic and neutral per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in both particulate and gaseous phases in air using a nanosampler-20 air sampler (NS20) composed of quartz fiber filters (QFFs), polyurethane foam (PUF) and artificial activated charcoal (GAIAC™). Perfluoroalkane sulfonamido ethanols (FOSEs) mainly remained in PUF, whereas the other neutral analytes were mainly found in GAIAC. Satisfactory recoveries were obtained for FOSEs, fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorotelomer iodides (FTIs), ranging fron 70%-120%, moderate recoveries were achieved for perfluorinated iodine alkanes (FIAs) and diiodofluoroalkanes (FDIAs), ranging from 50%-70%, while poor recoveries were found for perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FOSAs). Breakthrough experiments revealed that almost all the target analytes were well trapped in GAIAC™, including the very volatile 4:2 FTOH. Applying to real sampling, our results showed that 6:2 and 8:2 FTOH were the most abundant species, with levels detected at 190 pg/m³ and 160 pg/m³. To the best of our knowledge, FDIAs were detected in ambient air for the first time at an average level of 8.3 pg/m³. Overall, the profiles observed from the real air samples reflected current industrial transition from longer chain to shorter chain in PFAS production. Our results revealed that the current method is promising for a more comprehensive understanding on the fates of PFASs in air.

Keywords: Activated charcoal fiber; Gas and particle; Neutral and ionizable; PFASs; Simultaneous air analysis.

6:2 FTI [F(CF2)6CH2CH2I] is a principal industrial raw material used to manufacture 6:2 FTOH [F(CF2)6CH2CH2OH] and 6:2 FTOH-based products and could enter aerobic environments from possible industrial emissions where it is manufactured. This is the first study to assess 6:2 FTI aerobic soil biotransformation, quantify transformation products, and elucidate its biotransformation pathways. 6:2 FTI biotransformation led to 6:2 FTOH as a key intermediate, which was subsequently biotransformed to other significant transformation products, including PFPeA [F(CF2)4COOH, 20 mol % at day 91], 5:3 acid [F(CF2)5CH2CH2COOH, 16 mol %], PFHxA [F(CF2)5COOH, 3.8 mol %], and 4:3 acid [F(CF2)4CH2CH2COOH, 3.0 mol %]. 6:2 FTI biotransformation also led to a significant level of PFHpA [F(CF2)6COOH, 16 mol % at day 91], perhaps via another putative intermediate, 6:2 FTUI [F(CF2)6CH ═ CHI], whose molecular identity and further biotransformation were not verified because of the lack of an authentic standard. Total recovery of the aforementioned per- and polyfluorocarboxylates accounted for 59 mol % of initially applied 6:2 FTI by day 91, in comparison to 56 mol % when soil was dosed with 6:2 FTOH, which did not lead to PFHpA. Thus, were 6:2 FTI to be released from its manufacture and undergo soil microbial biotransformation, it could form PFPeA, PFHpA, PFHxA, 5:3 acid, and 4:3 acid in the environment.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using poles on foot-ground interaction during trail running with slopes of varying incline. Ten runners ran on a loop track representative of a trail running field situation with uphill (+9°), level and downhill (-6°) sections at fixed speed (3.2 m.s(-1)). Experimental conditions included running with (WP) and without (NP) the use of poles for each of the three slopes. Several quantitative and temporal foot-ground interaction parameters were calculated from plantar pressure data measured with a portable device. Using poles induced a decrease in plantar pressure intensity even when the running velocity stayed constant. However, the localisation and the magnitude of this decrease depended on the slope situations. During WP level running, regional analysis of the foot highlighted a decrease of the force time integral (FTI) for absolute (FTIabs; -12.6%; P<0.05) and relative values (FTIrel; -14.3%; P<0.05) in the medial forefoot region. FTIabs (-14.2%; P<0.05) and duration of force application (Δt; -13.5%; P<0.05) also decreased in the medial heel region when WP downhill running. These results support a facilitating effect of pole use for propulsion during level running and for the absorption phase during downhill running.

Background: It is important to evaluate trunk control, given that it is one of the indicators of adequate functional and motor recovery in patients following a stroke. The assessment should be feasible and adequate in clinical conditions in the acute phase. Objectives: The aim of this study was to detect the most appropriate scale used for trunk control assessment in very acute stroke patients in terms of time and ease of implementation. Methods: Sixty-five patients with very acute stroke were included in the study. The patients were assessed with the Trunk Impairment Scale-1 (VTIS), the Trunk Impairment Scale-2 (FTIS), the Motor Assessment Scale trunk subscale (T-MAS) and the Trunk Control Test (TCT), and Functional Impairment Measure (FIM). Floor/ceiling effects, reliability, validity responsiveness of all trunk control scales analyzed. The correlation between all scales and FIM were calculated. Results: All scales had similar reliability, responsiveness and construct validity level. T-MAS and TCT were more advantageous than other scales according to time. TCT and VTIS showed floor effect. The best predictive validity values were observed for the T-MAS and TCT. Conclusions: Four scales investigated in this study can also be used to evaluate the patients with very acute stroke. On the other hand, the advantages and disadvantages of the scales should be thoroughly assessed and researchers can use one of four scales considering their aim, patient populations and clinical characteristics of patients.

Volatile per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are often used as precursors in the synthesis of nonvolatile PFASs. The volatile PFASs, which include the perfluoroalkyl iodides (PFAIs), fluorotelomer iodides (FTIs), fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorotelomer olefins (FTOs), fluorotelomer acrylates (FTACs), and fluorotelomer methacrylates (FTMACs), are often produced starting from the telomerization process. These volatile compounds can be present in the air and water environment and can be transformed into highly persistent perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids. With the exception of FTOHs, which are well studied, the determination of other volatile PFASs is also of prime importance in studying the sources and fate of PFASs. In this study, a method was developed to determine representative precursor compounds that included PFAIs, FTIs, FTOs, FTACs, and FTMACs in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) air and water samples. The sampling and sample preparation step involved the use of solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges with HLB™ material to enrich the analyte. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry was employed for the detection and quantification of the analytes. Method validation results showed high linearity and sensitivity in the positive electron ionization-selected ion monitoring mode (+EI-SIM). The absolute instrumental limits of detection were in the range of 0.5 to 2 pg. The method detection limit (MDL) in air was 1 ng/m3 with the exception of the FTACs which could be only be detected at concentrations higher than 40 ng/m3. The MDL in water was 10 ng/L. Direct spiking of the cartridges and analyte introduction by volatilization from the glass surface onto the SPE material had recoveries between 86 and 100%. The volatile PFASs were shown to readily partition into the air rather than into water. Consequently, large losses in the amount of PFASs were observed when these were spiked into the water. Graphical abstract Wastewater treatment plant air and water samples were passed through HLB™ solid-phase materials. The eluates were injected onto a GC-MS system to simultaneously determine the volatile PFASs.

The production and widespread use of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has led to their presence in the environment, wildlife, and humans. Particularly, the perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) are pervasive throughout the world and have been found at ng/mL concentrations in human blood. PFCAs, especially those having longer carbon chain lengths (≥C6), are associated with developmental and hormonal effects, immunotoxicity, and promote tumor growth in rodents through their role as PPARα agonists. Humans are directly exposed to PFCAs primarily through contaminated food, drinking water, and house dust. However, indirect exposure to PFCAs through the biotransformation of fluorotelomer-based substances may also be a significant, yet relatively underappreciated pathway. We are exposed to fluorotelomer-based substances through use of consumer products, ingestion of food, or from inhalation of dust particles, but the risk of this exposure has been largely uncharacterized. Here, we summarize the work that has been done to characterize toxicity of the classes of fluorotelomer-based substances shown to biotransform to PFCAs: the polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters (PAPs), fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorotelomer iodides (FTIs), and fluorotelomer acrylate monomers (FTAcs). These fluorotelomer-based substances biotranform to yield PFCAs, yet also form bioactive intermediate metabolites, which have been observed to be more toxic than their corresponding PFCAs. We address what is known regarding the toxicity of the fluorotelomer-based substances and their metabolites, with focus on covalent binding to biological nucleophiles, such as glutathione, proteins, and DNA, as a possible mechanism of toxicity that may influence the risk of indirect exposure to PFCAs.

We recently described a novel series of CA(1)A(2)X peptidomimetics as farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs). These compounds possess an N-(4-piperidinyl)benzamide scaffold mimicking A(1)A(2) residue. Extensive exploration of structure--activity relationships revealed that replacement of cysteine by substituted benzylimidazoles provided nanomolar FTIs with in vitro activities (18e, IC(50) = 4.60 nM on isolated enzyme, EC(50) = 20.0 nM for growth inhibition on a tumor cell line). The molecular docking of 18e and 19e in the active site of the enzyme provided details of key interactions with the protein and showed that the methionine or phenylalanine residue fits into the aryl binding site.

Among the newer and promising weapons against cancer are Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitors (FTI). Indeed it is known that the enzyme Farnesyl Transferase (FT), catalyses the prenylation of cysteine residues of several proteins associated with cancer progression, including oncogenic forms of Ras.FTI could alter tumour progression. Exploration of our corporate structural database, based on concepts of diversity and similarity, brought forward a quinazoline-2,4-dione possessing weak farnesyl transferase inhibitory properties. A systematic modulation of structural parameters allowed the elaboration of a series of analogs out of which the most potent compound (21b) exhibited an IC(50) of 19 nM on FT, an excellent cellular activity on the oncogenic H-Ras-transfected cell line Ras #1, as well as selectivity (ratio of IC(50) on parental RAT2 cells/ IC(50) on Ras#1 cells>> 2000). Moreover this compound also showed encouraging "in vivo" activity. The synthesis of these new chemical entities as well as the structure activity relationships found following pharmacological testing, is described.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is among the most cultivated legumes, with interesting agronomic and environmental properties, and great potential as a nutritious food. The nutritional value of cowpea can be improved by technological processing. In this study, we showed that natural fermentation improved bioavailability of protein, amino acids, and dietary essential minerals from cowpea in growing rats, thus strengthening its potential value as functional food or food supplement. Forty Wistar albino rats (48 ± 1.8 g), were fed one of four experimental diets (n = 10 rats per diet): casein, raw cowpea, fermented cowpea or fermented and autoclaved cowpea. Despite lower growth indices of raw and fermented cowpea protein (PER, FTI) than casein, fermentation enhanced apparent digestibility of arginine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and valine, and true digestibility of essential amino acids, except for tyrosine and valine, compared to raw cowpea. On the other hand, autoclaving of fermented cowpea flour decreased apparent, as did true digestibility of sulfur amino acids. Regarding the nutritive utilization of dietary essential minerals, Vigna unguiculata was a good source of available P, Mg, and K, while fermentation significantly improved the availability of P. Overall, cowpea was a good source of digestible essential amino acids and minerals and fermentation significantly improved its nutritional value that was not further enhanced by autoclaving.

Keywords: Vigna unguiculata; amino acids; digestibility; fermentation; mineral bioavailability; rat.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if participants can reduce foot progression angle (FPA), and if FPA reduction decreases regional plantar stresses and forces in individuals with diabetes.

METHODS

Design: Three-group cross-sectional design with repeated measures. subjects: twenty-eight participants either with diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetes and peripheral neuropathy with (DMPN+NPU) or without a prior history of ulceration (DMPN-NPU) were studied. Intervention: Participants were first instructed to walk over a 3.6 m walkway at their preferred FPA, and then to walk with their foot aligned parallel with the line of gait progression at their self-selected speed. Dynamic plantar kinetics in six masked regions were collected using an EMED-st-P-2 pedobarograph. Main measures: Primary outcome measures were FPA, peak plantar pressure (PPP), and force-time integral (FTI). A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine group differences in FPA for both walking conditions. Regional differences in PPPs and FTIs between preferred and corrected walking conditions were analyzed using repeated measures ANCOVA.

RESULTS

Participants showed a reduction in FPA magnitude on the 'Involved' foot between the preferred and corrected walking conditions (p<0.01). There were no differences in PPPs or FTIs in any mask between walking conditions (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Results from this investigation offer important evidence that people with diabetes can modify their FPA with a simple intervention of visual and verbal cueing. Future research should examine if gait retraining strategies in regular footwear more effectively offload areas of elevated regional plantar stresses and forces in adults with diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy.

An iterative local Fourier transform (ILFT)-based high-accuracy wavelength calibration for Fourier transform imaging spectrometer (FTIS) is proposed. The wavelength calibration for FTIS is to determine the relation between the wavelength and the wavenumber position. However, the wavenumber position solved by conventional method is only accurate up to integers restricted by the picket-fence effect of discrete Fourier transform. While the proposed ILFT can increase the accuracy of calculating the wavenumber position by combining the local Fourier transform and a few iterations. In this paper, the method is investigated in theory and then by simulations and experiments. The simulations show that the accuracy of the wavenumber position calculated by the ILFT is increased by 100 times than conventional method with noise, phase error, and non-uniform sampling of optical path difference. And the experimental results indicate that the ILFT decreases the absolute error of wavelength calibration from about 2.03 nm to 0.16 nm. Therefore, the method provides theoretical and technical support for FTIS and promotes the development of superior resolutions therein.

Objectives: To investigate associations between testosterone and patient reported sexual problems and need for sexual care in head and neck cancer patients at time of diagnosis and 6 months after treatment.

Patients and methods: Data and samples were used of 40 patients (20 men, 20 women) before and 6 months after treatment. Outcome measures were total testosterone level (TT) and free testosterone index (FTI), testosterone insufficiency (TI), the EORTC QLQ-HN35 Sexuality subscale, the subscales of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and the Sexuality subscale of the Short-Form Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34).

Results: In men, higher FTI before treatment was significantly associated with better IIEF Orgasm (p = 0.020) and at 6 months follow-up with IIEF Desire (p = 0.019). Before treatment, insufficient testosterone was present in 5 males (25%) and in 3 at follow-up (15%) (2 patients who had TI before treatment plus one). In women, higher TT at follow-up was significantly associated with better EORTC Sexuality (p = 0.031) and FSFI Satisfaction (p = 0.020); FTI at follow-up was associated with FSFI Satisfaction (p = 0.012). Before treatment, TI was present in 2 women (10%) and in 3 (15%) at follow-up (the same 2 patients plus one).

Conclusion: This pilot study showed that testosterone seems to be associated with patient reported sexual outcomes among male and female head and neck cancer patients. It is estimated that 10-25% of HNC patients may have testosterone insufficiency before treatment and/or at 6 months after treatment.

Keywords: Head and neck cancer; Sex hormones; Sexual problems; Sexuality; Supportive care; Testosterone.

Stormwater pollution causes an excessive influx of nutrients and metals to the receiving waterbodies (stormwater ponds, lakes, and rivers), which can cause eutrophication and metal toxicity. One of the most cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions to stormwater pollution is constructing Floating Treatment Islands (FTIs) within the waterbodies receiving stormwater runoff. Treatment efficiency of FTIs depends on many factors including plant species, temperature, detention time, and pollutant loading rate. Another important factor is FTI hydraulics, which determines the amount of inflow to the root zone and residence time, greatly impacting the treatment. However, only a few studies refer to the hydraulics of waterbodies retrofitted with FTIs. This paper reviews available literature on field-scale, laboratory-scale and numerical studies on the hydraulics of FTI retrofitted waterbodies. Because of limited knowledge on the factors affecting hydraulics of waterbodies retrofitted with FTIs, current practices cannot ensure maximum hydraulic performance of this system. This review paper identifies different factors affecting the FTI hydraulics, investigates knowledge gaps, and provides future research direction for hydraulically efficient design of FTIs to treat stormwater. It was found that there is a need to investigate the impact of new design parameters such as FTI shape, FTI coverage, inlet-outlet configurations, and shape of waterbody on the hydraulic performance of FTI retrofitted waterbodies. A lack of dimensional analysis on FTI retrofitted waterbodies in existing literature revealed that field-scale values were not properly scaled down in laboratory experiments. Although a few short-circuiting prevention mechanisms (SPMs) were used in different field-scale studies, those mechanisms may be vulnerable to short-circuiting in the vertical dimension. It was revealed that studying the role of eddy diffusion and gap layer for vertical short-circuiting can help designing better SPMs. This review also identified that further investigation is required to incorporate root flexibility in the current modeling approach of FTI retrofitted waterbodies.

Keywords: Floating island; Hydraulics; Stormwater; Treatment; Waterbodies.

Objective: This single center cross-sectional study aims to investigate the association between secondary hyperparathyroidism and body composition in pediatric patients with moderate (stage 3) and advanced (stage 4-5) chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: 61 patients (median age: 13.4 years) were included. Body composition indices, including lean tissue index (LTI) and fat tissue index (FTI), were measured using multi-frequency bio-impedance spectroscopy. Muscle wasting was defined as LTI adjusted to height-age (HA) z-score < -1.65 SD and high adiposity as FTI z-score > 1.65 SD. Serum mineral metabolism parameters, including serum intact parathormone (iPTH), calcium, phosphorus and 25-hydroxyvitamin D, as well as serum leptin were measured in each patient. In advanced CKD patients, the mean values of serum mineral laboratory parameters of the 6 months prior to body composition assessment were recorded, and alfacalcidol index, defined as weekly alfacalcidol dose (mcg/week) per pg/ml of iPTH × 1,000, was calculated. Results: In moderate CKD (31 patients), high iPTH (>90 ng/ml) was observed in 10 (32.3%) patients and was associated with higher FTI z-score (p = 0.022). Moreover, serum iPTH was negatively correlated to LTI HA z-score (rs = -0.486, p = 0.006), and positively correlated to serum leptin levels (rs = 0.369, p = 0.041). The positive correlation between FTI z-score and iPTH (rs = 0.393, p = 0.039) lost significance after adjustment for serum leptin. iPTH was positively associated with high adiposity (12 patients, 38.7%) after adjustment for the other mineral metabolism parameters (OR 1.023, 95% CI 1.002-1.045, p = 0.028). In advanced CKD (30 patients), no significant correlation was observed between iPTH and body composition indices and serum leptin levels. Eleven (36.7%) patients with muscle wasting presented lower alfacalcidol index (p = 0.017). Alfacalcidol index ≤ 24 was strongly associated with muscle wasting after adjustment for CKD stage and other mineral metabolism parameters (OR 7.226, 95% CI 1.150-45.384, p = 0.035). Conclusion: Secondary hyperparathyroidism is associated with high adiposity in moderate but not in advanced CKD, with leptin acting as a potential contributive factor. In advanced CKD, targeting higher alfacalcidol weekly dose per each unit of serum PTH seems beneficial for preventing muscle wasting.

Keywords: alfacalcidol; children; chronic kidney disease; fat; leptin; muscle wasting; parathormone; secondary hyperparathyroidism.

This study reports a preliminary evaluation of flow-through immunocapture (FTI) followed by real-time PCR (FTI-PCR) for the detection of Salmonella serovars on tomato surfaces within 8 h. The FTI-PCR method was compared with real-time PCR, direct plating of FTI beads on xylose lysine desoxycholate (XLD), and the conventional culture method for Salmonella found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM). Unwaxed green tomatoes were spot inoculated with a five-serovar Salmonella cocktail on smooth surfaces at levels of 10(0) to 10(4) CFU per tomato and washed in lactose broth (LB) using a shake-rub method. The resulting LB rinse was incubated at 37 degrees C for 4 h prior to analysis by FTI-XLD, real-time PCR, or FTI-PCR and for 24 h as the first step in the BAM Salmonella culture method. For FTI-XLD, the observed lowest detection level (LDL) was 4.6 x 10(1) CFU per tomato. There was no significant difference in performance between the FTI-XLD method and the BAM Salmonella culture method (P>> 0.05); however, the FTI-XLD method reduced the overall assay time by 48 h. For real-time PCR and FTI-PCR, the observed LDLs were 4.6 x 10(1) and 9.2 x 10(0) CFU per tomato, respectively. The FTI-PCR method was superior to the BAM Salmonella culture method (P < 0.05) for the detection of Salmonella serovars on tomato surfaces and was completed within 8 h.