Higher-order anisotropies in the blast-wave model: Disentangling flow and density field anisotropies

We formulate a generalisation of the blast-wave model which is suitable for the description of higher-order azimuthal anisotropies of the hadron production. The model includes anisotropy in the density profile as well as an anisotropy in the transverse expansion velocity field. We then study how these two kinds of anisotropies influence the single-particle distributions and the correlation radii of two-particle correlation functions. Particularly we focus on the third-order anisotropy and consideration is given averaging over different orientations of the event plane

Cathepsin S in tumours, regional lymph nodes and sera of patients with lung cancer: relation to prognosis

Cysteine proteinase cathepsin S (Cat S) is expressed mainly in lymphatic tissues and has been characterised as a key enzyme in major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) mediated antigen presentation. Cat S has been measured in tissue cytosols of lung parenchyma, lung tumours and lymph nodes and in sera of patients with lung tumours and of healthy controls, by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A difference in Cat S level was found between tumour and adjacent control tissue cytosols of 60 lung cancer patients (median 4.3 vs. 2.8 ng mg−1protein). In lymph nodes obtained from 24 patients of the same group, the level of Cat S was significantly higher than in tumours or lung parenchyma (P< 0.001). Additionally, significantly higher levels were found in non-infiltrated than in infiltrated lymph nodes (median 16.6 vs 7.5 ng mg−1protein). Patients with low levels of Cat S in tumours and lung parenchyma exhibited a significantly higher risk of death than those with high levels of Cat S (P= 0.025 – tumours;P= 0.02 – parenchyma). Immunohistochemical analysis (IHA) of lung parenchyma revealed a staining reaction in alveolar type II cells, macrophages and bronchial epithelial cells. In regional lymph node tissue, strong staining of Cat S was found in lymphocytes and histiocytes. Nevertheless, Cat S was detected also in tumour cells, independently of their origin. Our results provide evidence that Cat S may be involved in malignant progression. Its role, however, differs from that of the related Cats B and L and could be associated with the immune response rather than with remodelling of extracellular matrix. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign  http://www.bjcancer.co

Heliyon

Purpose: Restraint is often used when administering procedures to children. However, no metrologically scale to measure the restraint intensity had yet been validated. This study validated the metrological criteria of a scale measuring the restraint intensity, Procedural Restraint Intensity in Children (PRIC), used during procedures in children. Design and methods: The PRIC scale performance was measured by a group of 7 health professionals working in a children's hospital, by watching 20 videos of health care procedures. This group included 2 physicians, 1 pediatric resident, and 4 nurses. The intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate the inter-rater and test-retest reliability and the construct validity with the correlation between PRIC scale and a numerical rating scale. Results: One hundred and forty measurements were made. Inter-rater and test-retest correlation coefficients were 0.98 and 0.98, respectively. The 2 scales were positively correlated with a Spearman coefficient of 0.93. Conclusions: This study validated the Procedural Restraint Intensity in Children (PRIC) scale in metrological terms with some limitation. However, there is not gold standard scale to precisely validate the reliability of this tool and this study has been conducted in "experimental" conditions. Nevertheless, this is the first scale measuring the intensity of physical restraint with a metrological validation. The next step will be to validate it in real clinical situations

PRODUCTION OF MEAT FROM ENTIRE MALE PIGS

Proizvodnja nekastriranih u odnosu na kastrirane nerastove je unosnija i profitabilnija, jer nekastrirani nerastovi očituju bolja svojstva kvalitete mesa s većim udjelom mišićnog tkiva i većim sadržajem proteina u odnosu na kastrate. No, jedan od ključnih problema u proizvodnji nekastriranih nerastova je neodgovarajuća senzorska kvaliteta mesa, odnosno neugodan i oštar miris te okus koji je većini potrašača neprihvatljiv. Steroidni hormoni testisa, androstenon i razloženi L-triptofan skatol, glavni su spojevi odgovorni za takav miris i okus svinjskog mesa. Razina androstenona u tkivu nerastova povezuje se sa spolnom zrelošću dok razina skatola ovisi o uvjetima okruženja i hranidbe. Pritom je ustanovljeno da nerastovi za klanje uzgojeni na organski način ne osiguravaju pouzdano smanjenje neugodnih mirisa i okusa mesa. Jedan od predloženih načina smanjenja neugodnih mirisa i okusa mesa nerastova je hranidba čistim žitricama, cikorijom i hidrolizirajućim taninom. Nadalje, postupci kod transporta prije klanja doprinose povećanju razine stresa, a time i povećanju androstenona i skatola u adipoznom tkivu nerastova. Kod genetskih utjecaja postoje oprečna mišljenja, gdje se s jedne strane ne može dokazati i potvrditi učinak genotipa na neugodne mirise i okus mesa nerasta, a s druge strane se vjeruje kako će rezultati selekcije doprinijeti smanjenju rizika glede ovog važnog senzorskog svojstva mesa nekastriranih nerastova. U mnogim zemljama imunokastracijom nerastova izbjegla se visoka razina androstenona i skatola te se neugodan okus i miris mesa sveo na najmanju razinu. Zbog dobrobiti životinja očekuje se ukidanje kastracije od 1. siječnja 2018. godine u zemljama EU. Zbog toga je od velike važnosti pronaći druga rješenja vezana uz navedene probleme.Production of entire male pigs in comparison with castrate boars is more lucrative and profitable because entire male pigs reflect better meat quality traits with a higher amount of muscle tissue and protein content compared to castrate pigs. One of the key problems in the meat sensory quality of the entire boars is the unpleasant and pungent smell and taste that is unacceptable to most of the consumers. Testicular steroid hormones, androstenone and exploded L-tryptophan, skatole, are the main compounds responsible for such smell and taste of pork. The level of androstenone in boars’ tissue is associated with sexual maturity while the level of skatole depends on environmental conditions and diet. Reduction of unpleasant smell and taste of the meat is possible to achieve by feeding the animals with cereals, chicory and hydrolyzing tannin. Boars for the slaughter farmed in the organic way do not provide a reliable reduction of the unpleasant smell and taste of the meat. Stress during the transport contributes to the increase of the androstenone and skatole in the adipose tissue. There are diverse opinions in the case of genetic influences, where on the one hand it is not possible to prove and demonstrate the effect of genotype on unpleasant smells and taste of the meat, and on the other hand it is likely that the selection results contribute to the reduction of this important meat sensory trait of the entire male pigs. In many countries castration of the boars has decreased high levels of androstenone and skatole and also unpleasant taste and odor of meat has been reduced to the lowest levels. Due to the animal welfare it is expected castration in the countries of European Union will be repealed from January, 1. 2018. It is therefore of great importance to find other solutions related to these problems

Antihyperlipidemic effects of Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms) in HIV-infected individuals taking antiretroviral therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Antiretroviral treatment (ART) regimens in HIV patients commonly cause significant lipid elevations, including increases in both triglycerides and cholesterol. Standard treatments for hypercholesterolemia include the HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, or "statins." Because many ART agents and statins share a common metabolic pathway that uses the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, coadministration of ART with statins could increase statin plasma levels significantly. The oyster mushroom, <it>Pleurotus ostreatus</it>, has been shown in animal models to decrease lipid levels - a finding that has been supported by preliminary data in a small human trial.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To assess the safety and efficacy of <it>P. ostreatus </it>in patients with HIV and ART-induced hyperlipidemia, a single-arm, open-label, proof-of-concept study of 8 weeks' duration with a target enrollment of 20 subjects was conducted. Study patients with ART-induced elevated non-HDL cholesterol levels (> 160 mg/dL) were enrolled. Participants received packets of freeze-dried <it>P. ostreatus </it>(15 gm/day) to be administered orally for the 8 week trial period. Lipid levels were drawn every two weeks to assess efficacy. Safety assessments included self-reported incidence of muscle aches and measurement of liver and muscle enzymes. Mean within-person change in lipid levels were estimated using generalized estimating equations to account for repeated observations on individuals. A 30 mg/dL decrease in non-HDL cholesterol was deemed clinically significant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>126 patients were screened to enroll 25, of which 20 completed the 8-week study. The mean age was 46.4 years (36-60). Patients had a mean 13.7 yrs of HIV infection. Mean non-HDL cholesterol was 204.5 mg/dL at day 0 and 200.2 mg/dL at day 56 (mean within-person change = -1.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -17.4, 14.0). HDL cholesterol levels increased from 37.8 mg/dL at day 0 to 40.4 mg/dL on day 56 (mean within-person change = 2.6; 95% CI = -0.1, 5.2). Triglycerides dropped from 336.4 mg/dL on day 0 to 273.4 mg/dL on day 56 (mean within-person change = -63.0; 95% CI = -120.9, -5.1). Only 3 individuals achieved a sustained clinically significant (30 mg/dL) decline in non-HDL cholesterol after 8 weeks of therapy. There were no adverse experiences reported other than patients' distaste for the preparation. Liver function tests and muscle enzymes were not affected by the 8 weeks of treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Pleurotus ostreatus </it>as administered in this experiment did not lower non-HDL cholesterol in HIV patients with ART-induced hypercholesterolemia. Small changes in HDL and triglycerides were not of a clinical magnitude to warrant further study.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00069524">NCT00069524</a></p

Cathepsins B, L and cystatin C in cyst fluid of ovarian tumors

Contains fulltext : 88032.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)INTRODUCTION: In cancer, an extracellular and membrane bound localization of cathepsins contribute to the invasion of tumor cells at the basement membrane. METHODS: This is the first study that explored levels of cathepsins B (CatB), L (CatL) and their inhibitor cystatin C (CysC) in the cystic fluid (CF) of ovarian tumors (n = 110). RESULTS: CF contained considerable amounts of CatB, CatL and CysC. Remarkable differences in CatB and CatL and CysC CF levels were found between different histopathological tumor subtypes. Levels of CatB and CysC were significantly higher in CF of malignant serous tumors compared to those found in benign serous tumors (p = 0.010 and p = 0.001 respectively), whereas levels of CatL were significantly higher in CF of malignant mucinous tumors compared to those found in benign mucinous tumors (p = 0.035). CatB and CysC showed a strong correlation in the group of patients with malignant serous tumors (p < 0.001; R = 0.921) suggesting that the increase in CatB might be balanced by a corresponding increase in CysC. CONCLUSION: Further studies are warranted to investigate cathepsins as possible prognostic biomarkers for the aggressiveness of ovarian cancer.1 mei 201

Planetary population synthesis

In stellar astrophysics, the technique of population synthesis has been successfully used for several decades. For planets, it is in contrast still a young method which only became important in recent years because of the rapid increase of the number of known extrasolar planets, and the associated growth of statistical observational constraints. With planetary population synthesis, the theory of planet formation and evolution can be put to the test against these constraints. In this review of planetary population synthesis, we first briefly list key observational constraints. Then, the work flow in the method and its two main components are presented, namely global end-to-end models that predict planetary system properties directly from protoplanetary disk properties and probability distributions for these initial conditions. An overview of various population synthesis models in the literature is given. The sub-models for the physical processes considered in global models are described: the evolution of the protoplanetary disk, the planets' accretion of solids and gas, orbital migration, and N-body interactions among concurrently growing protoplanets. Next, typical population synthesis results are illustrated in the form of new syntheses obtained with the latest generation of the Bern model. Planetary formation tracks, the distribution of planets in the mass-distance and radius-distance plane, the planetary mass function, and the distributions of planetary radii, semimajor axes, and luminosities are shown, linked to underlying physical processes, and compared with their observational counterparts. We finish by highlighting the most important predictions made by population synthesis models and discuss the lessons learned from these predictions - both those later observationally confirmed and those rejected.Comment: 47 pages, 12 figures. Invited review accepted for publication in the 'Handbook of Exoplanets', planet formation section, section editor: Ralph Pudritz, Springer reference works, Juan Antonio Belmonte and Hans Deeg, Ed

Elaia, Pergamon's maritime satellite:The rise and fall of an ancient harbour city shaped by shoreline migration

Throughout human history, communication and trade have been key to society. Because maritime trade facilitated the rapid transportation of passengers and freight at relatively low cost, harbours became hubs for traffic, trade and exchange. This general statement holds true for the Pergamenian kingdom, which ruled wide parts of today's western Turkey during Hellenistic times. Its harbour, located at the city of Elaia on the eastern Aegean shore, was used extensively for commercial and military purposes. This study reconstructs the coastal evolution in and around the ancient harbour of Elaia and compares the observed environmental modifications with archaeological and historical findings. We use micropalaeontological, sedimentological and geochemical proxies to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental dynamics and evolution of the ancient harbour. The geoarchaeological results confirm the archaeological and historical evidence for Elaia's primacy during Hellenistic and early Roman times, and the city's gradual decline during the late Roman period. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that Elaia holds a unique position as a harbour city during ancient times in the eastern Aegean region, because it was not greatly influenced by the high sediment supply associated with river deltas. Consequently, no dredging of the harbour basins is documented, creating exceptional geo-bioarchives for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions

Virulence and antimicrobial resistance determinants of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and of ESBL-producing multidrug resistant E. coli from foods of animal origin illegally imported to Europe

Microbial risk due to illegal food import has not been investigated so far. Here we aimed to reveal frequency, phenotype and genotype of verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) and ESBL-producing multidrug resistant (MDR) E. coli isolated from foods of animal origin confiscated at the EU airport borders. Of the 1500 food samples confiscated at the airports of Austria, Germany and Slovenia, the most frequent were cheese and meat products primarily from Turkey and from Balkan countries. The VTEC bacteria were isolated using ISO 16654:2001 for O157 and Ridascreen® ELISA based PCR testing of stx genes or ISO/ TS13136 for non-O157 VTEC, resulting in 15 isolates of VTEC (1%). In addition 600 samples from the Vienna airport were also tested for ESBL-producing MDR E. coli, using cefotaxime-McConkey agar. We identified 14 E. coli strains as ESBL/MDR E. coli. (0,9%) for phenotyping for antimicrobial resistance and for genotypiing by microarray (Identibac®,AMR05). The 15 VTEC isolates were phenotyped as Stx toxin producing non-O157 strain. Only one isolate, from Turkish cheese, proved to be EHEC (O26:H46). The remaining 14 strains represent uncommon VTEC serotypes with stx1 and/or stx2 genes. Microarray analysis (Identibac®, Ec03) revealed a wide range of other non-LEE encoding virulence genes. Pulsed field electrophoresis (PFGE) showed high genetic diversity of the strains. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) established three new ST types (ST4505, 4506 and 4507) in the MLST database, and indicated the existence of 5 small clusters with no relation to origin or serotype/genotype of the strains, but representing several human-related ST types. All VTEC isolates were sensitive to 18 antimicrobials relevant to human and/or animal health, and did not contain resistance genes. ESB/MDR E. coli were resistant to at least 3 classes of antimicrobials. Microarray analysis detected TEM-1 in all but one strain and a variety of genes encoding resistances to other ESBLs (CTXM-1, OXA-1), trimethromprim, tetracycline, aminoglycosides and class1/class2 integrons (8/14 isolates). E.coli virulence microarray detected 2-6 virulence genes in all but one MDR E. coli, and one of the strains qualified as an atypical EPEC . Even though the frequency and attributes of isolated VTEC and ESBL/MDR E. coli did not represent an immediate major risk through illegal food import for the countries involved, it is suggested that the unusual serovars of VTEC as well as the virulence and antimicrobial resistance determinants of ESBL/MDR E. coli detected here, may indicate a future emerging threat by strains in illegally imported foods. Acknowledgement is due to: EU FP7 PROMISE (Grant No: 265877), to Dr. Mária Herpay, National Institute for Epidemiology, Budapest