EFSA ND A Panel ( EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies), 2013. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and “ reduces the AA/EPA ratio in blood. A high AA/EPA level is a risk factor in the d evelopment of attention difficulties in children with ADHD - like symptoms ” pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Following an application from Minami Nutrition Health BVBA, submitted pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Belgium, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and “reduces the AA/EPA ratio in blood. A high AA/EPA level is a risk factor in the development of attention difficulties in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like symptoms”. The food constituent, EPA, which is the subject of the health claim, is sufficiently characterised. The claimed effect proposed by the applicant is “reduces the AA/EPA ratio in blood. A high AA/EPA level is a risk factor in the development of attention difficulties in children with ADHD-like symptoms. These children are also characterised by less hyperactivity and/or coexisting oppositional behaviour”. Upon a request by EFSA for clarification, the applicant indicated that the disease was ADHD, which is classified as such in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), that the risk factor for the disease was an elevated AA/EPA ratio in blood, and that the target population for the claim was children with diagnosis of ADHD. The Panel considers that the evidence provided does not establish that reducing the AA/EPA ratio reduces the risk of ADHD in children, and considers that the target population is a diseased population (i.e. children with ADHD). The Panel concludes that the claimed effect relates to the treatment of a disease, and that therefore the health claim does not comply with the criteria laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

THE EXISTENCE OF SOCIAL DISTANCE IN REFUSALS DELIVERED BY CHILDREN CHARACTERS IN THE NOVEL ENTITLED “THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS” (A PRAGMATICS STUDY)

The Existence of Social Distance in Refusals Delivered by Children Characters in the Novel Entitled “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” (A Pragmatics Study) Putu Antalis Denita1 Prof. Dr. Djatmika, M.A2 ABSTRACT This research was presented to encounter refusal expressions conveyed by children characters in the novel entitled The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in which those are influenced by social distance. It explained the types of refusal expression, analyzed the way of social distance affects the refusals, and examined the reason of social distance influences the refusals uttered by children to refuse an action. The research applied pragmatics study. It was a descriptive qualitative research which took purposive sampling technique. The data of the research were the dialogues in the novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which contained refusal expressions influenced by social distance. They were categorized in Takahashi and Weltz’s theory of refusal expressions and Thomas’s theory of indirectness factor, namely social distance. The research found out three findings. First, particular types and strategies of refusal are affected by social distance. The speakers tend to use a direct refusal completed with a direct command, the expression of thanking, and the use of reasoning to express the refusals when they have close relationship. Meanwhile, the speakers tend to employ an indirect refusal in uttering the refusals in order to show positive face of the interlocutor combined with a reason, telling, questioning, stating a tag question, giving an opinion, and asking permission in uttering the refusals when they have distance relationship. Social distance strongly influences the choice of refusal, but there are also other factors, namely power and solidarity. The second finding shows that there are three types of refusal expression used by the characters to perform refusal, namely direct refusal, indirect refusal, adjunct to refusal. Direct refusal contains non performative statement and mitigated willingness; indirect refusal consists of repetition of part of request, excuse/reason/explanation, topic switch, criticize the request/requester, and adjunct to refusal includes in pause fillers. The third finding describes that the use of certain types and strategies of refusal influenced by social distance have several reasons. The reasons are to show an easy conversation, to perform respect, and to express politeness. 1 Student of English Department/ NIM C1312015 2 Thesis Superviso

New GC-MS Assay for MDA and MDMA

3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) are central nervous system stimulant/hallucinogens and schedule I controlled substances at the federal level. The analysis of these drugs in crime labs represents about 0.5% of all drug exhibits in the US. Confirmatory and quantitative analysis is typically performed by gas chromatographic (GC) analysis. The highly polar nature of the drugs in both the salt and free base forms cause strong interactions with surfaces such as the inlet and stationary phase in the GC; these interactions are problematic, especially for quantitation. Our laboratory recently developed a method to attenuate this surface interaction that resulted in improved chromatographic behavior and detector response by mass spectrometry (MS). We have established that derivatization of the basic nitrogen with alkanoic anhydrides enhances the sensitivity of the assay significantly

Codon usage comparison of novel genes in clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae

A similarity statistic for codon usage was developed and used to compare novel gene sequences found in clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae with a reference set of 80 prokaryotic, eukaryotic and viral genomes. These analyses were performed to obtain an indication as to whether individual genes were Haemophilus-like in nature, or if they probably had more recently entered the H.influenzae gene pool via horizontal gene transfer from other species. The average and SD values were calculated for the similarity statistics from a study of the set of all genes in the H.influenzae Rd reference genome that encoded proteins of 100 amino acids or longer. Approximately 80% of Rd genes gave a statistic indicating that they were most like other Rd genes. Genes displaying codon usage statistics >1 SD above this range were either considered part of the highly expressed group of H.influenzae genes, or were considered of foreign origin. An alternative determinant for identifying genes of foreign origin was when the similarity statistics produced a value that was much closer to a non-H.influenzae reference organism than to any of the Haemophilus species contained in the reference set. Approximately 65% of the novel sequences identified in the H.influenzae clinical isolates displayed codon usages most similar to Haemophilus sp. The remaining novel sequences produced similarity statistics closer to one of the other reference genomes thereby suggesting that these sequences may have entered the H.influenzae gene pool more recently via horizontal transfer

Alternatively spliced variants of the cell adhesion molecule CD44 and tumour progression in colorectal cancer.

Increased expression of alternatively spliced variants of the CD44 family of cell adhesion molecules has been associated with tumour metastasis. In the present study, expression of alternatively spliced variants of CD44 and their cellular distribution have been investigated in human colonic tumours and in the corresponding normal mucosa, in addition to benign adenomatous polyps. The expression of CD44 alternatively spliced variants has been correlated with tumour progression according to Dukes' histological stage. CD44 variant expression was determined by immunohistochemisty using monoclonal antibodies directed against specific CD44 variant domains together with RT-PCR analysis of CD44 variant mRNA expression in the same tissue specimens. We demonstrate that as well as being expressed in colonic tumour cells, the full range of CD44 variants, CD44v2-v10, are widely expressed in normal colonic crypt epithelium, predominantly in the crypt base. CD44v6, the epitope which is most commonly associated with tumour progression and metastasis, was not only expressed by many benign colonic tumours, but was expressed as frequently in normal basal crypt epithelium as in malignant colonic tumour cells, and surprisingly, was even absent from some metastatic colorectal tumours. Expression of none of the CD44 variant epitopes was found to be positively correlated with tumour progression or with colorectal tumour metastasis to the liver, results which are inconsistent with a role for CD44 variants as indicators of colonic cancer progression

Age moderates the association between psychological distress and engagement in mindfulness among cancer patients and survivors: A population-based study

Purpose We aim to evaluate the relationship between psychological distress and engagement in mindfulness among a national representative sample of cancer survivors. Sample and design Using the 2017 National Health Interview Survey, our final analytical sample included 3068 participants who reported having been diagnosed with cancer. Methods and analysis We used logistic regression analysis to assess the association and to test age as a moderator. We also conducted follow-up analysis using Fisher’s r-to-z transformation. All analyses were adjusted for complex sample weights. Findings Cancer survivors who had subclinical and clinical psychological distress were more likely to engage in mindfulness, OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.24, 2.02] and OR = 1.45, 95% CI [1.02, 2.05], respectively. Age significantly moderated such association with the relationship much stronger among those who are younger (younger than 65 years old) than those who are older (65 years or older), b = 0.97, 95% CI [0.95, 0.99]. Conclusions The relationship between psychological distress and engagement in mindfulness differs significantly by a survivor’s age. Psychosocial oncological providers need to account for a survivor’s age when delivering mindfulness based care to address psychological distress.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167611/1/Zhang et al., 2020 Age moderator.pdfSEL

An orthotopic xenograft model of human nonseminomatous germ cell tumour

We have established the first example of an orthotopic xenograft model of human nonseminomatous germ cell tumour (NSGCT). This reproducible model exhibits many clinically relevant features including metastases to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes and lungs, making it an ideal tool for research into the development and progression of testicular germ cell tumours. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Sequential Intrastromal Corneal Ring Implantation and Cataract Surgery in a Severe Keratoconus Patient with Cataract

A 49-year-old man with an uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) of 20 / 1000, a best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) of 20 / 400, keratometric readings of K1 = 59.88 × 82° / K2 = 45.88 × 172°, and an inferior steepening that was consistent with keratoconus in his left eye was treated with clear-cornea phacoemulsification and an intraocular lens (IOL) implantation after insertion of keraring intrastromal corneal ring segments for severe keratoconus and cataract. An asymmetrical pair of kerarings was implanted with the assistance of a femtosecond laser in September 2008; the one segment was 250 µm and the other was 150 µm and both were placed at 70°. Three months after the kerarings were implanted, clear-cornea phacoemulsification and IOL implantation were performed on the left eye. After surgery, both the UCVA and the BSCVA of the left eye improved by eight lines. Postoperative central keratometry showed a decrease of 7.35 diopters in the left eye. Both the postoperative refraction (-0.75 -0.75 × 60°) and the keratometric reading (K1 = 50.05 × 93° / K2 = 48.83 × 3°) remained stable one month following the procedures. Thus, the sequential order of intrastromal corneal rings implantation and cataract surgery can be considered as a treatment option in patients with severe keratoconus and cataract