Mutations in a gene encoding an ABC transporter cause pseudoxanthoma elasticum

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a heritable disorder characterized by calcification of elastic fibres in skin, arteries and retina that results in dermal lesions with associated laxity and loss of elasticity, arterial insufficiency and retinal haemorrhages leading to macular degeneration. PXE is usually found as a sporadic disorder, but examples of both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant forms of PXE have been observed. Partial manifestations of the PXE phenotype have also been described in presumed carriers in PXE families. Linkage of both dominant and recessive forms of PXE to a 5-cM domain on chromosome 16p13.1 has been reported (refs 8,9). We have refined this locus to an 820-kb region containing 6 candidate genes. Here we report the exclusion of five of these genes and the identification of the first mutations responsible for the development of PXE in a gene encoding a protein associated with multidrug resistance (ABCC6).

Assessment of the European classification criteria for Sjögren's syndrome in a series of clinically defined cases: results of a prospective multicentre study. The European Study Group on Diagnostic Criteria for Sjögren's Syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To assess the recently proposed preliminary criteria for the classification of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) in a multicentre European study of a new series of clinically defined cases.

METHODS

The criteria included six items: I = ocular symptoms; II = oral symptoms; III = evidence of keratoconjunctivitis sicca; IV = focal sialoadenitis by minor salivary gland biopsy; V = instrumental evidence of salivary gland involvement; VI = presence of autoantibodies. Each centre was asked to provide five patients with primary SS, five with secondary SS, five with connective tissue diseases (CTD) but without SS, and five controls (patients with ocular or oral features that may simulate SS). The preliminary six item classification criteria set was applied to both the SS patients and the non-SS controls, and the performance of the criteria in terms of sensitivity and specificity was tested.

RESULTS

The criteria set was tested on a total of 278 cases (157 SS patients and 121 non-SS controls) collected from 16 centres in 10 countries. At least four of the six items in the criteria set (limiting item VI to the presence of Ro(SS-A) or La(SS-B) antibodies) were present in 79 of 81 patients initially classified as having primary SS (sensitivity 97.5%), but in only seven of 121 non-SS controls (specificity 94.2%). When the presence of item I or II plus any two of items III-V of the criteria set was considered as indicative of secondary SS, 97.3% (71 of 73) of the patients initially defined as having this disorder and 91.8% (45 of 49) of the control patients with CTD without SS were correctly classified.

CONCLUSION

This prospective study confirmed the high validity and reliability of the classification criteria for SS recently proposed by the European Community Study Group.

Reduction of fatigue in Sjögren syndrome with rituximab: results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study

OBJECTIVE

Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) causes significant systemic symptoms including fatigue as well as glandular dysfunction. There are currently no effective systemic therapies; however, open label series have suggested that rituximab may be beneficial for systemic and glandular manifestations. Therefore, we performed a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomised pilot study of the efficacy of rituximab in reducing fatigue in pSS.

METHODS

A total of 17 patients with pSS and a score on fatigue visual analogue scale (VAS) >50 were randomised to receive either 2 infusions of rituximab 1 g or placebo; patients also received oral and intravenous steroids. Outcome measures included: the proportion of patients with >20% reduction in fatigue VAS, changes in pSS related symptoms, health related quality of life and immunological parameters of pSS. These were measured 6 months after therapy.

RESULTS

There was significant improvement from baseline in fatigue VAS in the rituximab group (p<0.001) in contrast to the placebo group (p = 0.147). There was a significant difference between the groups at 6 months in the social functioning score of SF-36 (p = 0.01) and a trend to significant difference in the mental health domain score of SF-36 (p = 0.06). There was one episode of serum sickness in the rituximab treated group.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first double blind study of rituximab in pSS to show benefit; further studies are justified.

Bias in interpretation of ambiguous sentences related to threat in anxiety

In the 1st of 2 experiments, currently clinically anxious, recovered clinically anxious, and normal control subjects were presented with a mixture of unambiguous and ambiguous sentences; both threatening and nonthreatening interpretations were possible for the latter. A subsequent recognition-memory test indicated that the currently anxious subjects were more likely than normal control and recovered anxious subjects to interpret the ambiguous sentences in a threatening fashion rather than in a nonthreatening fashion. This suggests that the biased interpretation of ambiguity found in currently anxious subjects reflected their anxious mood state. A 2nd experiment established that the difference in interpretative processes between currently anxious and control subjects was not due to response bias and that the interpretative bias was a reasonably general one.

Factor H mutations in hemolytic uremic syndrome cluster in exons 18-20, a domain important for host cell recognition

Several recent studies have established an association between abnormalities of complement factor H (FH) and the development of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). To identify the relative importance of mutations in FH as a cause of HUS, we have undertaken mutation screening of the FH gene in 19 familial and 31 sporadic patients with FH. Mutations were found in two familial and three sporadic patients, and these clustered in exons 18-20, a domain important for host recognition. Moreover, this study demonstrates that familial HUS is likely to be a heterogeneous condition.

Involvement of yeast sphingolipids in the heat stress response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A role for sphingolipids in the yeast heat stress response has been suggested by the isolation of suppressors of mutants lacking these lipids, which are unable to grow at elevated temperatures. The current study examines the possible role of sphingolipids in the heat adaptation of yeast cells as monitored by growth and viability studies. The suppressor of long chain base auxotrophy (SLC, strain 7R4) showed a heat-sensitive phenotype that was corrected by transformation with serine palmitoyltransferase. Thus, the deficiency in sphingolipids and not the suppressor mutation was the cause of the heat-sensitive phenotype of the SLC strain 7R4. The ability of sphingolipids to rescue the heat-sensitive phenotype was examined, and two endogenous yeast sphingoid backbones, phytosphingosine and dihydrosphingosine, were found to be most potent in this effect. Next, the effect of heat stress on the levels of the three major classes of sphingolipids was determined. The inositol phosphoceramides showed no change over a 1.5-h time course. However, the four detected species of sphingoid bases increased after 15 min of heat stress from 1.4- to 10.8-fold. The largest increases were seen in two sphingoid bases, C20 phytosphingosine and C20 dihydrosphingosine, which increased 6.4- and 10.8-fold over baseline, respectively. At 60 min of heat stress two species of yeast ceramide increased by 9.2- and 10.6-fold over baseline. The increase seen in the ceramides was partially decreased by Fumonisin B1, a ceramide synthase inhibitor. Therefore, heat stress induces accumulation of sphingoid bases and of ceramides, probably through de novo synthesis. Taken together, these results demonstrate that sphingolipids are involved in the yeast heat stress adaptation.

Clinical characteristics with inflammation profiling of long COVID and association with 1-year recovery following hospitalisation in the UK: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

No effective pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions exist for patients with long COVID. We aimed to describe recovery 1 year after hospital discharge for COVID-19, identify factors associated with patient-perceived recovery, and identify potential therapeutic targets by describing the underlying inflammatory profiles of the previously described recovery clusters at 5 months after hospital discharge.

METHODS

The Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study recruiting adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital with COVID-19 across the UK. Recovery was assessed using patient-reported outcome measures, physical performance, and organ function at 5 months and 1 year after hospital discharge, and stratified by both patient-perceived recovery and recovery cluster. Hierarchical logistic regression modelling was performed for patient-perceived recovery at 1 year. Cluster analysis was done using the clustering large applications k-medoids approach using clinical outcomes at 5 months. Inflammatory protein profiling was analysed from plasma at the 5-month visit. This study is registered on the ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN10980107, and recruitment is ongoing.

FINDINGS

2320 participants discharged from hospital between March 7, 2020, and April 18, 2021, were assessed at 5 months after discharge and 807 (32·7%) participants completed both the 5-month and 1-year visits. 279 (35·6%) of these 807 patients were women and 505 (64·4%) were men, with a mean age of 58·7 (SD 12·5) years, and 224 (27·8%) had received invasive mechanical ventilation (WHO class 7-9). The proportion of patients reporting full recovery was unchanged between 5 months (501 [25·5%] of 1965) and 1 year (232 [28·9%] of 804). Factors associated with being less likely to report full recovery at 1 year were female sex (odds ratio 0·68 [95% CI 0·46-0·99]), obesity (0·50 [0·34-0·74]) and invasive mechanical ventilation (0·42 [0·23-0·76]). Cluster analysis (n=1636) corroborated the previously reported four clusters: very severe, severe, moderate with cognitive impairment, and mild, relating to the severity of physical health, mental health, and cognitive impairment at 5 months. We found increased inflammatory mediators of tissue damage and repair in both the very severe and the moderate with cognitive impairment clusters compared with the mild cluster, including IL-6 concentration, which was increased in both comparisons (n=626 participants). We found a substantial deficit in median EQ-5D-5L utility index from before COVID-19 (retrospective assessment; 0·88 [IQR 0·74-1·00]), at 5 months (0·74 [0·64-0·88]) to 1 year (0·75 [0·62-0·88]), with minimal improvements across all outcome measures at 1 year after discharge in the whole cohort and within each of the four clusters.

INTERPRETATION

The sequelae of a hospital admission with COVID-19 were substantial 1 year after discharge across a range of health domains, with the minority in our cohort feeling fully recovered. Patient-perceived health-related quality of life was reduced at 1 year compared with before hospital admission. Systematic inflammation and obesity are potential treatable traits that warrant further investigation in clinical trials.

FUNDING

UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research.

"Perfect" markers for the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b dwarfing genes in wheat

PCR-based markers were developed to detect the point mutations responsible for the two major semi-dwarfing genes Rht-B1b ( Rht1) and Rht-D1b ( Rht2) in wheat. These markers were validated by testing 19 wheat varieties of known Rht genotype. They included Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b dwarfs, double-mutant varieties and tall wheats. These were correctly genotyped with the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b-specific primers, as well as markers specific for the tall alleles Rht-B1a and Rht-D1a. Using a family of doubled-haploid lines segregating for Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b, the markers were mapped to the expected homoeologous regions of chromosomes 4B and 4D, respectively. Both markers were strongly correlated with a reduction in height, accounting for 23% ( Rht-B1b) and 44% ( Rht-D1b) of the phenotypic variance in the population. These markers will have utility in marker-assisted selection of the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b genes in wheat breeding programs.

Mortality in eating disorders: a descriptive study

OBJECTIVE

We report rates and causes of death for a cohort of 246 eating-disordered women and provide descriptive information on their eating disorder and comorbid diagnoses.

METHOD

Data on mortality were collected as part of a longitudinal study of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, now in its 11th year. Other data sources included death certificates, autopsy reports, relative interviews, and a National Death Index search.

RESULTS

Seven deaths have occurred during the study, all among anorexic subjects with a history of binging and purging and with comorbid Axis I disorders. The crude mortality rate was 5.1%. The standardized mortality ratios for death (9.6) and suicide (58.1) were significantly elevated (p <. 001).

CONCLUSIONS

Anorexia nervosa is associated with a substantial risk of death and suicide. Features correlated with fatal outcome are longer duration of illness, binging and purging, comorbid substance abuse, and comorbid affective disorders.

Interpretation of homophones related to threat in anxiety states

In previous studies, we have established that anxiety states are characterized by an attentional bias that favors the processing of threatening stimuli. In the present study we extend this finding to ambiguous stimuli, specifically, homophones with spellings that correspond to either a threatening or a neutral meaning. As predicted, clinically anxious subjects used the threatening spellings relatively more than did controls, whereas recovered subjects were intermediate in this respect. Threatening words were associated with greater skin conductance responses than were neutral words, but the groups did not differ in their electrodermal reactions to homophones. We take these findings as evidence that, although the different meanings of ambiguous stimuli may be processed in parallel by all subjects, an interpretive bias operates such that anxiety-prone individuals tend to become preferentially aware of the more threatening meaning of such events.

Damage to porcine islets of Langerhans after exposure to human blood in vitro, or after intraportal transplantation to cynomologus monkeys: protective effects of sCR1 and heparin

BACKGROUND

Porcine islets offer an attractive alternative to human islets in clinical islet transplantation. The preferred method of islet transplantation is intra-portal injection into the liver. We have recently shown, both in vitro with human islets and in vivo with porcine islets, that islets exposed to allogeneic blood trigger an injurious inflammatory reaction characterized by activation of both coagulation and the complement systems. We have now tested whether a similar reaction is triggered when xenogeneic porcine islets are exposed to human blood in vitro and after intraportal transplantation into primates. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of inhibiting the complement and coagulation systems.

METHOD

Islets isolated from adult and fetal porcine pancreas were perfused with fresh human blood in surface heparinized PVC tubings for 5-60 min. Blood cell counts and parameters related to coagulation and the complement system were analyzed, and islets were retrieved after the perifusion was examined by immunohistochemical method. Heparin and soluble complement receptor 1 (sCR1; TP10, 100 microg/ml) were added to the system in some experiments. Furthermore, adult porcine islets were transplanted intraportally into untreated and sCR1- (40 mg/kg BW i.v.) treated cynomolgus monkeys, and plasma insulin concentration was monitored during 60 min after transplantation.

RESULTS

Porcine islets perifused with human blood triggered an immediate inflammatory reaction, characterized by a rapid consumption and activation of platelets, consumption of neutrophils and monocytes, activation of the coagulation and complement systems, and release of large amounts of insulin. Islet morphologic analysis revealed damaged islets embedded in clots and infiltrated with CD11+ leukocytes. C3a and C5b-9 was deposited on the islet surface, but human immunoglobulin was not. Complement inhibition with sCR1 reduced insulin release significantly. Intraportal islet transplantation into untreated cynomolgus monkeys resulted in a marked and rapid increase in plasma insulin concentration indicative of islet damage. Pretreatment of the monkeys with sCR1 resulted in significantly less insulin release than in untreated control monkeys.

CONCLUSION

Exposure of isolated xenogeneic islets of Langerhans to blood, both in vitro and in vivo, resulted in acute islet damage. Complement and platelets seem to have a central role in the reactions described. Strategies to efficiently inhibit these reactions will be crucial for clinical intraportal islet xenotransplantation to be successful.

Structure of the human sensorimotor system. I: Morphology and cytoarchitecture of the central sulcus

We have studied the morphology of the central sulcus and the cytoarchitecture of the primary sensorimotor cortex in 20 human brains obtained at autopsy. Although the surface appearance of the central sulcus varies greatly from brain to brain (and between hemispheres of individual brains), its deep structure is remarkably consistent. The fundus of the central sulcus is divided into medial and lateral limbs by a complex junction midway between the sagittal and Sylvian fissures. Based on functional imaging studies, this junction appears to be a structural hallmark of the sensorimotor representation of the distal upper extremity. We also identified and measured area 4 (primary motor cortex) and area 3 (primary somatic sensory cortex) in Nissl-stained sections cut orthogonal to the course of the central sulcus. Although the positions of the cytoarchitectonic boundaries in the paracentral lobule showed considerable interindividual variation, the locations of the borders of areas 4 and 3 along the course of the sulcus were similar among the 40 hemispheres examined. In addition to describing more thoroughly this portion of the human cerebral cortex, these observations provide a basis for evaluating lateral symmetry of the human primary sensorimotor cortex.

Effects of mood manipulation and anxiety on performance of an emotional Stroop task

In Study 1 subjects high and low in trait anxiety were asked to identify the colour of anxiety-related, anxiety-matched neutral, happiness-related and happiness-matched neutral words. There were two types of stimulus presentation: blocked trials, where stimuli were blocked with respect to their valence, and mixed trials, where stimuli were mixed with respect to their valence. Subjects high in trait anxiety took longer to identify the colour of anxiety-related compared to matched neutral words for blocked-trial presentation only. In Study 2 subjects were exposed to either a positive or a negative mood-manipulation followed by a mixed-trial Stroop task. The mood manipulation procedure was successful in producing predicted changes in self-reported state anxiety. Analyses showed that high-trait-anxiety subjects exhibited interference effects consistent with the induced mood. No such effects were observed for the low-trait-anxiety subjects.

Observation of high-energy neutrinos using Cerenkov detectors embedded deep in Antarctic ice

Neutrinos are elementary particles that carry no electric charge and have little mass. As they interact only weakly with other particles, they can penetrate enormous amounts of matter, and therefore have the potential to directly convey astrophysical information from the edge of the Universe and from deep inside the most cataclysmic high-energy regions. The neutrino's great penetrating power, however, also makes this particle difficult to detect. Underground detectors have observed low-energy neutrinos from the Sun and a nearby supernova, as well as neutrinos generated in the Earth's atmosphere. But the very low fluxes of high-energy neutrinos from cosmic sources can be observed only by much larger, expandable detectors in, for example, deep water or ice. Here we report the detection of upwardly propagating atmospheric neutrinos by the ice-based Antarctic muon and neutrino detector array (AMANDA). These results establish a technology with which to build a kilometre-scale neutrino observatory necessary for astrophysical observations.

Dental tissue effects of fluoride

It is now well-established that a linear relationship exists between fluoride dose and enamel fluorosis in human populations. With increasing severity, the subsurface enamel all along the tooth becomes increasingly porous (hypomineralized), and the lesion extends toward the inner enamel. In dentin, hypomineralization results in an enhancement of the incremental lines. After eruption, the more severe forms are subject to extensive mechanical breakdown of the surface. The continuum of fluoride-induced changes can best be classified by the TF index, which reflects, on an ordinal scale, the histopathological features and increases in enamel fluoride concentrations. Human and animal studies have shown that it is possible to develop dental fluorosis by exposure during enamel maturation alone. It is less apparent whether an effect of fluoride on the stage of enamel matrix secretion, alone, is able to produce changes in enamel similar to those described as dental fluorosis in man. The clinical concept of post-eruptive maturation of erupting sound human enamel, resulting in fluoride uptake, most likely reflects subclinical caries. Incorporation of fluoride into enamel is principally possible only as a result of concomitant enamel dissolution (caries lesion development). At higher fluoride concentrations, calcium-fluoride-like material may form, although the formation, identification, and dissolution of this compound are far from resolved. It is concluded that dental fluorosis is a sensitive way of recording past fluoride exposure because, so far, no other agent or condition in man is known to create changes within the dentition similar to those induced by fluoride. Since the predominant cariostatic effect of fluoride is not due to its uptake by the enamel during tooth development, it is possible to obtain extensive caries reductions without a concomitant risk of dental fluorosis.

John J, Sulak L, Zou D, Alimena J, Berry E, Bhattacharya S, Cutts D, Dhingra N, Ferapontov A, Garabedian A, Hakala J, Heintz U, Laird E, Landsberg G, Mao Z, Narain M, Piperov S, Sagir S, Syarif R, Breedon R, Breto G, De La Barca Sanchez MC, Chauhan S, Chertok M, Conway J, Conway R, Cox PT, Erbacher R, Funk G, Gardner M, Ko W, Lander R, Mulhearn M, Pellett D, Pilot J, Ricci-Tam F, Shalhout S, Smith J, Squires M, Stolp D, Tripathi M, Wilbur S, Yohay R, Bravo C, Cousins R, Everaerts P, Farrell C, Florent A, Hauser J, Ignatenko M, Saltzberg D, Schnaible C, Valuev V, Weber M, Burt K, Clare R, Ellison J, Gary JW, Hanson G, Heilman J, Ivova PANEVA M, Jandir P, Kennedy E, Lacroix F, Long OR, Luthra A, Malberti M, Negrete MO, Shrinivas A, Wei H, Wimpenny S, Yates BR, Branson JG, Cerati GB, Cittolin S, D’Agnolo RT, Derdzinski M, Holzner A, Kelley R, Klein D, Letts J, Macneill I, Olivito D, Padhi S, Pieri M, Sani M, Sharma V, Simon S, Tadel M, Tu Y, Vartak A, Wasserbaech S, Welke C, Würthwein F, Yagil A, Zevi Della Porta G, Bradmiller-Feld J, Campagnari C, Dishaw A, Dutta V, Flowers K, Franco Sevilla M, Geffert P, George C, Golf F, Gouskos L, Gran J, Incandela J, Mccoll N, Mullin SD, Mullin SD, Richman J, Stuart D, Suarez I, West C, Yoo J, Anderson D, Apresyan A, Bornheim A, Bunn J, Chen Y, Duarte J, Mott A, Newman HB, Pena C, Pierini M, Spiropulu M, Vlimant JR, Xie S, Zhu RY, Andrews MB, Azzolini V, Calamba A, Carlson B, Ferguson T, Paulini M, Russ J, Sun M, Vogel H, Vorobiev I, Cumalat JP, Ford WT, Gaz A, Jensen F, Johnson A, Krohn M, Mulholland T, Nauenberg U, Stenson K, Wagner SR, Alexander J, Chatterjee A, Chaves J, Chu J, Dittmer S, Eggert N, Mirman N, Nicolas Kaufman G, Patterson JR, Rinkevicius A, Ryd A, Skinnari L, Soffi L, Sun W, Tan SM, Teo WD, Thom J, Thompson J, Tucker J, Weng Y, Wittich P, Abdullin S, Albrow M, Apollinari G, Banerjee S, Bauerdick LAT, Beretvas A, Berryhill J, Bhat PC, Bolla G, Burkett K, Butler JN, Cheung HWK, Chlebana F, Cihangir S, Elvira VD, 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Martinez G, Rodriguez JL, Adams JR, Ackert A, Adams T, Askew A, Bein S, Bochenek J, Diamond B, Haas J, Hagopian S, Hagopian V, Johnson KF, Khatiwada A, Prosper H, Weinberg M, Baarmand MM, Bhopatkar V, Colafranceschi S, Hohlmann M, Kalakhety H, Noonan D, Roy T, Yumiceva F, Adams MR, Apanasevich L, Berry D, Betts RR, Bucinskaite I, Cavanaugh R, Evdokimov O, Gauthier L, Gerber CE, Hofman DJ, Kurt P, O’Brien C, Sandoval Gonzalez LD, Silkworth C, Turner P, Varelas N, Wu Z, Zakaria M, Bilki B, Clarida W, Dilsiz K, Durgut S, Gandrajula RP, Haytmyradov M, Khristenko V, Merlo JP, Mermerkaya H, Mestvirishvili A, Moeller A, Nachtman J, Ogul H, Onel Y, Ozok F, Penzo A, Snyder C, Tiras E, Wetzel J, Yi K, Anderson I, Anderson I, Barnett BA, Blumenfeld B, Eminizer N, Fehling D, Feng L, Gritsan AV, Maksimovic P, Martin C, Osherson M, Roskes J, Sady A, Sarica U, Swartz M, Xiao M, Xin Y, You C, Xiao M, Baringer P, Bean A, Benelli G, Bruner C, Kenny RP, Majumder D, Majumder D, Malek M, Murray M, Sanders S, Stringer R, Wang Q, Ivanov A, Kaadze K, Khalil S, Makouski M, Maravin Y, Mohammadi A, Saini LK, Skhirtladze N, Toda S, Lange D, Rebassoo F, Wright D, Anelli C, Baden A, Baron O, Belloni A, Calvert B, Eno SC, Ferraioli C, Gomez JA, Hadley NJ, Jabeen S, Jabeen S, Kellogg RG, Kolberg T, Kunkle J, Lu Y, Mignerey AC, Shin YH, Skuja A, Tonjes MB, Tonwar SC, Apyan A, Barbieri R, Baty A, Bierwagen K, Brandt S, Bierwagen K, Busza W, Cali IA, Demiragli Z, Di Matteo L, Gomez Ceballos G, Goncharov M, Gulhan D, Iiyama Y, Innocenti GM, Klute M, Kovalskyi D, Lai YS, Lee YJ, Levin A, Luckey PD, Marini AC, Mcginn C, Mironov C, Narayanan S, Niu X, Paus C, Ralph D, Roland C, Roland G, Salfeld-Nebgen J, Stephans GSF, Sumorok K, Varma M, Velicanu D, Veverka J, Wang J, Wang TW, Wyslouch B, Yang M, Zhukova V, Dahmes B, Evans A, Finkel A, Gude A, Hansen P, Kalafut S, Kao SC, Klapoetke K, Kubota Y, Lesko Z, Mans J, Nourbakhsh S, Ruckstuhl N, Rusack R, Tambe N, Turkewitz J, Acosta JG, Oliveros S, Avdeeva E, Bloom K, Bose S, Claes DR, Dominguez A, Fangmeier C, Gonzalez Suarez R, Kamalieddin R, Keller J, Knowlton D, Kravchenko I, Meier F, Monroy J, Ratnikov F, Siado JE, Snow GR, Alyari M, Dolen J, George J, Godshalk A, Harrington C, Iashvili I, Kaisen J, Kharchilava A, Kumar A, Rappoccio S, Roozbahani B, Alverson G, Barberis E, Baumgartel D, Chasco M, Hortiangtham A, Massironi A, Morse DM, Nash D, Orimoto T, Teixeira De Lima R, Trocino D, Wang RJ, Wood D, Zhang J, Hahn KA, Kubik A, Mucia N, Odell N, Pollack B, Pozdnyakov A, Schmitt M, Stoynev S, Sung K, Trovato M, Velasco M, Brinkerhoff A, Dev N, Hildreth M, Jessop C, Karmgard DJ, Kellams N, Lannon K, Marinelli N, Meng F, Mueller C, Musienko Y, Planer M, Reinsvold A, Ruchti R, Smith G, Taroni S, Valls N, Wayne M, Wolf M, Woodard A, Antonelli L, Brinson J, Bylsma B, Durkin LS, Flowers S, Hart A, Hill C, Hughes R, Ji W, Ling TY, Liu B, Luo W, Puigh D, Rodenburg M, Winer BL, Wulsin HW, Driga O, Elmer P, Hardenbrook J, Hebda P, Koay SA, Lujan P, Marlow D, Medvedeva T, Mooney M, Olsen J, Palmer C, Piroué P, Saka H, Stickland D, Tully C, Zuranski A, Malik S, Barnes VE, Benedetti D, Bortoletto D, Gutay L, Jha MK, Jones M, Jung K, Miller DH, Neumeister N, Primavera F, Radburn-Smith BC, Shi X, Shipsey I, Silvers D, Sun J, Svyatkovskiy A, Wang F, Xie W, Xu L, Parashar N, Stupak J, Adair A, Akgun B, Chen Z, Ecklund KM, Geurts FJM, Guilbaud M, Li W, Michlin B, Northup M, Padley BP, Redjimi R, Roberts J, Rorie J, Tu Z, Zabel J, Betchart B, Bodek A, de Barbaro P, Demina R, Eshaq Y, Ferbel T, Galanti M, Galanti M, Garcia-Bellido A, Han J, Harel A, Hindrichs O, Hindrichs O, Khukhunaishvili A, Petrillo G, Tan P, Verzetti M, Arora S, Barker A, Chou JP, Contreras-Campana C, Contreras-Campana E, Ferencek D, Gershtein Y, Gray R, Halkiadakis E, Hidas D, Hughes E, Kaplan S, Kunnawalkam Elayavalli R, Lath A, Nash K, Panwalkar S, Park M, Salur S, Schnetzer S, Sheffield D, Somalwar S, Stone R, Thomas S, Thomassen P, Walker M, Foerster M, Riley G, Rose K, Spanier S, York A, Bouhali O, Castaneda Hernandez A, Celik A, Dalchenko M, De Mattia M, Delgado A, Dildick S, Dildick S, Eusebi R, Gilmore J, Huang T, Kamon T, Krutelyov V, Krutelyov V, Mueller R, Osipenkov I, Pakhotin Y, Patel R, Patel R, Perloff A, Rose A, Safonov A, Tatarinov A, Ulmer KA, Akchurin N, Cowden C, Damgov J, Dragoiu C, Dudero PR, Faulkner J, Kunori S, Lamichhane K, Lee SW, Libeiro T, Undleeb S, Volobouev I, Appelt E, Delannoy AG, Greene S, Gurrola A, Janjam R, Johns W, Maguire C, Mao Y, Melo A, Ni H, Sheldon P, Snook B, Tuo S, Velkovska J, Xu Q, Arenton MW, Cox B, Francis B, Goodell J, Hirosky R, Ledovskoy A, Li H, Lin C, Neu C, Sinthuprasith T, Sun X, Wang Y, Wolfe E, Wood J, Xia F, Clarke C, Harr R, Karchin PE, Kottachchi Kankanamge Don C, Lamichhane P, Sturdy J, Belknap DA, Carlsmith D, Cepeda M, Dasu S, Dodd L, Duric S, Gomber B, Grothe M, Hall-Wilton R, Herndon M, Hervé A, Klabbers P, Lanaro A, Levine A, Long K, Loveless R, Mohapatra A, Ojalvo I, Perry T, Pierro GA, Polese G, Ruggles T, Sarangi T, Savin A, Sharma A, Smith N, Smith WH, Taylor D, Woods N. Event generator tunes obtained from underlying event and multiparton scattering measurements

New sets of parameters ("tunes") for the underlying-event (UE) modelling of the pythia8, pythia6 and herwig++ Monte Carlo event generators are constructed using different parton distribution functions. Combined fits to CMS UE proton-proton ([Formula: see text]) data at [Formula: see text] and to UE proton-antiproton ([Formula: see text]) data from the CDF experiment at lower [Formula: see text], are used to study the UE models and constrain their parameters, providing thereby improved predictions for proton-proton collisions at 13[Formula: see text]. In addition, it is investigated whether the values of the parameters obtained from fits to UE observables are consistent with the values determined from fitting observables sensitive to double-parton scattering processes. Finally, comparisons are presented of the UE tunes to "minimum bias" (MB) events, multijet, and Drell-Yan ([Formula: see text] lepton-antilepton+jets) observables at 7 and 8[Formula: see text], as well as predictions for MB and UE observables at 13[Formula: see text].

An anxiety-related bias in semantic activation when processing threat/neutral homographs

Three experiments are reported comparing high- and low-trait anxious subjects in terms of their patterns of semantic activation in response to ambiguous primes, with one threat-related and one neutral meaning. Such primes were followed by targets related to either their threat or neutral meaning, or by unrelated targets, in a lexical decision task. Experiments 1 to 3 employed stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 750 msec, 500 msec, and 1250 msec, respectively. At 500-msec SOA all subjects showed facilitation for both meanings. At 750-msec SOA the only significant priming effect was that for the threat-related meaning in the high-anxiety group, and a similar trend was found at 1250-msec SOA. Consideration of the patterns of priming for targets following ambiguous threat/neutral primes suggest that at the longer SOAs, high-anxiety subjects consciously "lock on" to a threatening interpretation if one has been made available by earlier automatic spreading activation.

HLA-DR-promiscuous T cell epitopes from Plasmodium falciparum pre-erythrocytic-stage antigens restricted by multiple HLA class II alleles

Previously, we identified and established the antigenicity of 17 CD8+ T cell epitopes from five P. falciparum Ags that are restricted by multiple common HLA class I alleles. Here, we report the identification of 11 peptides from the same Ags, cicumsporozoite protein, sporozoite surface protein 2, exported protein-1, and liver-stage Ag-1, that bind between at least five and up to 11 different HLA-DR molecules representative of the most common HLA-DR Ags worldwide. These peptides recall lymphoproliferative and cytokine responses in immune individuals experimentally immunized with radiation-attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites (irradiated sporozoites) or semi-immune individuals naturally exposed to malaria in Irian Jaya or Kenya. We establish that all peptides are recognized by individuals of each of the three populations, and that the frequency and magnitude of helper T lymphocyte responses to each peptide is influenced by the intensity of exposure to P. falciparum sporozoites. Mean frequencies of lymphoproliferative responses are 53.2% (irradiated sporozoites) vs 22.4% (Kenyan) vs 5.8% (Javanese), and mean frequencies of IFN-gamma responses are 66.3% (irradiated sporozoites) vs 27.3% (Kenyan) vs 8. 7% (Javanese). The identification of HLA class II degenerate T cell epitopes from P. falciparum validates our predictive strategy in a biologically relevant system and supports the potential for developing a broadly efficacious epitope-based vaccine against malaria focused on a limited number of peptide specificities.

Compressive strength, ash weight, and volume of vertebral trabecular bone in experimental fluorosis in pigs

The aim of the investigation was to measure the effect of fluoride on vertebral trabecular bone compressive strength and to correlate this with fluoride-induced changes in bone density. This correlation would express changes in the quality of bone during fluoride treatment. Pigs were used in the experiment because their trabecular bone structure and remodeling sequences are very similar to the human. Eight animals receiving a supplement of 2 mg F-/kg b.w. per day from age 8-14 months were compared with 8 control animals. Morphologic measurements in the animals receiving fluoride supplement showed a significant increase of 17% in bone density and a smaller, insignificant increase of 3% in ash weight analyses. Meanwhile, the mechanical parameters for the fluorotic animals were unchanged (maximum compressive strength, maximum stiffness, and energy-absorption capacity) or decreased (normalized compressive strength = maximum compressive load corrected for ash density). It is concluded that the increased bone mass during the initial stages of fluoride treatment does not necessarily indicate an improved bone quality. The discrepancy between bone mass and strength could be either a permanent or a temporary phenomenon and requires further investigation.

Fluoride is unable to reduce dental erosion from soft drinks

The main aim of the present study was to compare the erosive capabilities of some fruit-flavoured drinks, fresh or saturated with CaF2, with their content of acids and with previous results from some carbonated soft drinks. The other aim was to measure and compare the rates of dissolution of CaF2 in some carbonated and non-carbonated drinks and water. Seven commercially available fruit-flavoured drinks were diluted for drinking. Two human molars, each with two approximately 4 x 4 mm windows, were exposed continuously to 500 ml of each drink with or without prior equilibration with CaF2 under gentle agitation for 48 h. The depths of the erosions were then measured on microradiographs made from sections. Dissolution rate of CaF2 was measured by suspending 0.5 g of the salt in 0.5 litre of the drinks for 2, 10 and 60 min followed by solution analysis. The pH of the drinks was 2.83-3.51. The amount of NaOH required to bring pH to 5.5 ranged from 12-42 mmol/l, which is more than the amount necessary for most carbonated soft drinks. Equilibration with CaF2 gave total fluoride concentrations of 3-8 ppm. The depths of the lesions induced by the drinks without added fluoride were 450-625 microm whilst those developed by the drinks equilibrated with CaF2 were 350-625 microm. The dissolution of CaF2 was faster in the carbonated drinks and in distilled water than in the non-carbonated drinks. In conclusion, non-carbonated fruit-flavoured drinks contain considerable amounts of acids which, in vitro, induce erosions in teeth similar to those induced by carbonated soft drinks. Saturation with CaF2 reduced the in vitro development of erosions by 28% induced by drinks with pH above 3; in drinks with pH below 3, erosions were not affected by pH, despite total fluoride concentrations of up to 20 ppm.

The effects of changes to the built environment on the mental health and well-being of adults: Systematic review

There is increasing interest in the influence of place on health, and the need to distinguish between environmental and individual level factors. For environmental-level factors, current evidence tends to show associations through cross-sectional and uncontrolled longitudinal analyses rather than through more robust study designs that can provide stronger causal evidence. We restricted this systematic review to randomised (or cluster) randomised controlled trials and controlled before-and-after studies of changes to the built environment. Date of search was December 2016. We identified 14 studies. No evidence was found of an effect on mental health from 'urban regeneration' and 'improving green infrastructure' studies. Beneficial effects on quality-of-life outcomes from 'improving green infrastructure' were found in two studies. One 'improving green infrastructure' study reported an improvement in social isolation. Risk-of-bias assessment indicated robust data from only four studies. Overall, evidence for the impact of built environment interventions on mental health and quality-of-life is weak. Future research requires more robust study designs and interdisciplinary research involving public health, planning and urban design experts.

Unrecognized invasive carcinoma in vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN)

Sixty-nine patients having had pretreatment biopsy diagnosis of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia were treated with surgical excision of all visible lesions. Complete surgical specimens were submitted for pathological study in an attempt to identify occult invasive vulvar carcinoma. Unsuspected invasion was noted in 13 patients (18.8%). Superficial invasion (less than 1 mm) was seen in 8 patients, 4 had greater than 1 mm of invasion, and one verrucous carcinoma was identified. Patients of advancing age with disease that had a raised and irregular surface pattern were more likely to have lesions with occult invasion. Treatment that utilizes ablative techniques cannot be recommended based on the use of preoperative representative biopsies.