Integrated Degradation Models in R Using iDEMO

Degradation models are widely used to assess the lifetime information for highly reliable products with quality characteristics whose degradation over time can be related to reliability. The performance of a degradation model largely depends on an appropriate model description of the product's degradation path. The cross-platform package iDEMO (integrated degradation models) is developed in R and the interface is built using the Tcl/Tk bindings provided by the tcltk and tcltk2 packages included with R. It is a tool to build a linear degradation model which can simultaneously consider the unit-to-unit variation, time-dependent structure and measurement error in the degradation paths. The package iDEMO provides the maximum likelihood estimates of the unknown parameters, mean-time-to-failure and q-th quantile, and their corresponding confidence intervals based on the different information matrices. In addition, degradation model selection and goodness-of-fit tests are provided to determine and diagnose the degradation model for the user's current data by the commonly used criteria. By only enabling user interface elements when necessary, input errors are minimized

Interpersonal Relationships among University Safety Professionals: The Impact of a Safety Departmentf

PresentationForming strong interpersonal relationships enables an organization or individual to achieve more favorable outcomes. The objectives of this study were to examine the frequency of interpersonal interactions among safety professionals (SPs) employed at Taiwanese universities and the factors that affected this frequency. To accomplish these objectives, we mailed questionnaires to a simple random sampling of 200 university SPs. Moreover, an interpersonal relationship scale was developed in this study; exploratory factor and internal consistency analyses revealed that the scale was valid and reliable. Results derived from the questionnaire revealed that in SP interpersonal relationships, general affairs department personnel, laboratory or internship unit supervisors, and teaching staff ranked highest in frequency of interactions. Multivariate analysis of variance results showed that establishing a safety department exerted a statistically significant effect on SP interpersonal relationships. SPs employed by universities with safety departments interacted more frequently with both internal and external relationships. Therefore, we suggest that universities without a safety department establish such a department to strengthen the labor safety and health structure, thereby benefitting SPs in fulfilling responsibilities to promote safety and health management

Associations between blood glucose level and outcomes of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest: a retrospective cohort study

Additional file 3: Table S3. Features, interventions, and outcomes of cardiac arrest events stratified by the presence of measurement of blood glucose level after sustained return of spontaneous circulation

MCRS2 represses the transactivation activities of Nrf1

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nrf1 [p45 nuclear factor-erythroid 2 (p45 NF-E2)-related factor 1], a member of the CNC-bZIP (CNC basic region leucine zipper) family, is known to be a transcriptional activator by dimerization with distinct partners, such as Maf, FosB, c-Jun, JunD, etc. The transcriptional roles of CNC-bZIP family are demonstrated to be involved in globin gene expression as well as the antioxidant response. For example, CNC-bZIP factors can regulate the expression of detoxification proteins through AREs, such as expression of human gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetases (GCS), glutathione S-transferases (GST), UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UDP-GT), NADP (H) quinone oxidoreductase (NQOs), etc. To further explore other factor(s) in cells related to the function of Nrf1, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening assay to identify any Nrf1-interacting proteins. In this study, we isolated a cDNA encoding residues 126–475 of MCRS2 from the HeLa cell cDNA library. Some functions of MCRS1 and its splice variant-MSP58 and MCRS2 have been previously identified, such as transforming, nucleolar sequestration, ribosomal gene regulation, telomerase inhibition activities, etc. Here, we demonstrated MCRS2 can function as a repressor on the Nrf1-mediated transactivation using both in vitro and in vivo systems.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To find other proteins interacting with the CNC bZIP domain of Nrf1, the CNC-bZIP region of Nrf1 was used as a bait in a yeast two-hybrid screening assay. MCRS2, a splicing variant of p78/MCRS1, was isolated as the Nrf1-interacting partner from the screenings. The interaction between Nrf1 and MCRS2 was confirmed <it>in vitro </it>by GST pull-down assays and <it>in vivo </it>by co-immunoprecipitation. Further, the Nrf1-MCRS2 interaction domains were mapped to the residues 354–447 of Nrf1 as well as the residues 314–475 of MCRS2 respectively, by yeast two-hybrid and GST pull-down assays. By immunofluorescence, MCRS2-FLAG was shown to colocalize with HA-Nrf1 in the nucleus and didn't result in the redistribution of Nrf1. This suggested the existence of Nrf1-MCRS2 complex in vivo. To further confirm the biological function, a reporter driven by CNC-bZIP protein binding sites was also shown to be repressed by MCRS2 in a transient transfection assay. An artificial reporter gene activated by LexA-Nrf1 was also specifically repressed by MCRS2.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>From the results, we showed MCRS2, a new Nrf1-interacting protein, has a repression effect on Nrf1-mediated transcriptional activation. This was the first ever identified repressor protein related to Nrf1 transactivation.</p

Increased spinal prodynorphin gene expression in reinflammation-associated hyperalgesia after neonatal inflammatory insult

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neuroplasticity induced by neonatal inflammation is the consequence of a combination of activity-dependent changes in neurons. We investigated neuronal sensitivity to a noxious stimulus in a rat model of neonatal hind-paw peripheral inflammation and assessed changes in pain behaviour at the physiological and molecular levels after peripheral reinflammation in adulthood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A decrease in paw withdrawal latency (PWL) after a heat stimulus was documented in rats that received inflammatory injections in their left hind paws on postnatal day one (P1) and a reinflammation stimulus at postnatal 6-8 weeks of age, compared with normal rats. An increase in the expression of the prodynorphin (<it>proDYN</it>) gene was noted after reinflammation in the spinal cord ipsilateral to the afferents of the neonatally treated hind paw. The involvement of the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) in peripheral inflammatory pain hypersensitivity was evidenced evident by the increase in phospho-ERK (pERK) activity after reinflammation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that peripheral inflammation in neonates can permanently alter the pain processing pathway during the subsequent sensory stimulation of the region. Elucidation of the mechanism underlying the developing pain circuitry will provide new insights into the understanding of the early pain behaviours and the subsequent adaptation to pain.</p

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma can induce a leukemoid reaction

SummaryLiposarcoma is one of the most common malignant soft tissue neoplasms in adults; however, few reports of liposarcoma had been described the expression of leukocytosis and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). In this report, we present the rare case of a patient who had de-differentiated liposarcoma and elevated G-CSF levels that resulted in a leukemoid reaction. The patient was a 65-year-old man who had been lame for one month due to right thigh swelling. His body temperature was slightly elevated at 38°C and leukocytosis with an elevated white blood cell (WBC) count (41500/μL) was noted. The findings of computed tomography of the lower extremities indicated the presence of a malignancy. Therefore, an incision biopsy was performed. Based on the finding of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the biopsy pathology report, we diagnosed the patient with liposarcoma. Moreover, the preoperative serum G-CSF level was elevated (261.8 pg/mL). An en bloc excision including the entire biopsy pathway was performed 5 days after admission. After en bloc excision of the tumor, WBC count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and G-CSF expression decreased. The final pathologic report confirmed the diagnosis of de-differentiated liposarcoma. No local recurrence or distant metastasis was detected in the follow-up image study, and the patient has remained asymptomatic 2 years after surgery. The case described here is a rare type of liposarcoma that produces G-CSF, which in turn, induces leukocytosis. Liposarcoma with elevated G-CSF levels resulting in a leukemoid reaction may indicate a poorly differentiated cell type and may be associated with a poor prognosis; however, en bloc excision of the tumor remains the primary treatment for this type of tumor. Moreover, the WBC count and G-CSF serum level can be as the tools monitoring the tumor recurrence