Epidemiologic characteristics of diphyllobothriasis in the lower Amur River valley

Results of epidemiological studies of diphyllobothriasis in the Lower part of the Amur watershed have demonstrated that the disease nosogeographic range covered the entire region. Potential risk of invasion of humans and animals by the tapeworms exists all over the aforementioned area. Season of invasion coincides with the period of migration of calico and humpback salmon which are additional hosts of Diphyllobothriidae. Invasion occurs outside the Amur freshwater area; thus the real disease foci are absent in the Lower part of the Amur watershed. This is due to the fact that the disease is not induced by wide fish tapeworm, but by a marine or estuarine-marine species.     

Quantitation of T2′ anisotropic effects on magnetic resonance bone mineral density measurement

In this paper, the authors quantitate the anisotropy of susceptibility effects in an uniaxial trabecular bone model and show its relevance to clinical MR bone mineral density measurements. A physical model is described that quantitates the anisotropic MR behavior of uniaxial trabecular bone. To test the model, a phantom of parallel polyethylene filaments was scanned every 15° between 0° and 90° with respect to the system's main magnetic field (B₀). The distal radial metaphysis of a healthy female volunteer was scanned in orthogonal projections. The signal from each phantom image and each radial image was separated in a pixel-wise fashion into R₂ and R₂′ maps. As predicted, R₂′ relaxation showed anisotropic behavior and changed according to sin² (?), confirming that columnar structures parallel with B₀ will cause no MR susceptibility effects. Scans of the distal radius showed that R₂′ relaxation was twice as great with the forearm perpendicular to B₀ as when it was parallel to it, demonstrating different contributions from struts and columns. For both phantom and radial bone scans, R₂ relaxation was isotropic and did not change with object orientation.     

Thermal contribution of compact bone to intervening tissue-like media exposed to planar ultrasound

The presence of bone in the ultrasound beam path raises concerns, both in diagnostic and therapeutic applications, because significant temperature elevations may be induced at nearby soft tissue-bone interfaces due the facts that ultrasound is (i) highly absorbed in bone and (ii) reflected at soft tissue-bone interfaces in various degrees depending on angle of incidence. Consequently, in ultrasonic thermal therapy, the presence of bone in the ultrasound beam path is considered a major disadvantage and it is usually avoided. However, based on clinical experience and previous theoretical studies, we hypothesized that the presence of bone in superficial unfocused ultrasound hyperthermia can actually be exploited to induce more uniform and enhanced (with respect to the no-bone situation) temperature distributions in superficial target volumes. In particular, we hypothesize that the presence of underlying bone in superficial target volume enhances temperature elevation not only by additional direct power deposition from acoustic reflection, but also from thermal diffusion from the underlying bone. Here we report laboratory results that corroborate previous computational studies and strengthen the above-stated hypothesis. Three different temperature measurement techniques, namely, thermometric (using fibre-optic temperature probes), thermographic (using an infrared camera) and magnetic resonance imaging (using proton resonance frequency shifts), were used in high-power short-exposure, and in low-power extended-exposure, experiments using a 19 mm diameter planar transducer operating at 1.0 and 3.3 MHz (frequencies of clinical relevance). The measurements were performed on three technique-specific phantoms (with and without bone inclusions) and experimental set-ups that resembled possible superficial ultrasound hyperthermia clinical situations. Results from all three techniques were in general agreement and clearly showed that significantly higher heating rates (greater than fourfold) were induced in soft tissue-like phantom materials adjacent (within approximately 5 mm) to a bovine bone as compared to similar experiments without bone inclusions. For low-power long-exposure experiments, where thermal conduction effects are significant, the thermal impact of bone reached at distances > 10 mm from the bone surface (upstream of the bone). Therefore, we hypothesize that underlying bone exposed to planar ultrasound hyperthermia creates a high-temperature thermal boundary at depth that compensates for beam attenuation, thus producing more uniform temperature distribution in the intervening tissue layers. With appropriate technology, this finding may lead to improved thermal doses in superficial treatment sites such as the chest wall and the head/neck.     

Neural coding of spatial phase in V1 of the macaque monkey

We examine the responses of single neurons and pairs of neurons, simultaneously recorded with a single tetrode in the primary visual cortex of the anesthetized macaque monkey, to transient presentations of stationary gratings of varying spatial phase. Such simultaneously recorded neurons tended to have similar tuning to the phase of the grating. To determine the response features that reliably discriminate these stimuli, we use the metric-space approach extended to pairs of neurons. We find that paying attention to the times of individual spikes, at a resolution of approximately 30 ms, and keeping track of which neuron fires which spike rather than just the summed local activity contribute substantially to phase coding. The contribution is both quantitative (increasing the fidelity of phase coding) and qualitative (enabling a 2-dimensional "response space" that corresponds to the spatial phase cycle). We use a novel approach, the extraction of "temporal profiles" from the metric space analysis, to interpret and compare temporal coding across neurons. Temporal profiles were remarkably consistent across a large subset of neurons. This consistency indicates that simple mechanisms (e.g., comparing the size of the transient and sustained components of the response) allow the temporal contribution to phase coding to be decoded.     

Phenotypic expansion of Bosch–Boonstra–Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome and further evidence for genotype–phenotype correlations

Bosch–Boonstra–Schaaf Optic Atrophy Syndrome (BBSOAS) is an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss‐of‐function variants in NR2F1 and characterized by visual impairment, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. Here we report 18 new cases, provide additional clinical information for 9 previously reported individuals, and review an additional 27 published cases to present a total of 54 patients. Among these are 22 individuals with point mutations or in‐frame deletions in the DNA‐binding domain (DBD), and 32 individuals with other types of variants including whole‐gene deletions, nonsense and frameshift variants, and point mutations outside the DBD. We corroborate previously described clinical characteristics including developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder diagnoses/features thereof, cognitive/behavioral anomalies, hypotonia, feeding difficulties, abnormal brain MRI findings, and seizures. We also confirm a vision phenotype that includes optic nerve hypoplasia, optic atrophy, and cortical visual impairment. Additionally, we expand the vision phenotype to include alacrima and manifest latent nystagmus (fusional maldevelopment), and we broaden the behavioral phenotypic spectrum to include a love of music, an unusually good long‐term memory, sleep difficulties, a high pain tolerance, and touch sensitivity. Furthermore, we provide additional evidence for genotype–phenotype correlations, specifically supporting a more severe phenotype associated with DBD variants.     

Kinetic analysis of interactions between bispecific monoclonal antibodies and immobilized antigens using a resonant mirror biosensor

A resonant mirror biosensor (IAsys) protocol is described for the comparative kinetic analysis of the ability of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) and bispecific antibodies (Babs) to bind immobilized antigens. The protocol has been optimized and validated using the panel of affinity-purified antibodies, including two parental Mabs, one specific to human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) and another specific to horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and a Bab derived thereof by cell fusion (anti-hIgG/HRP Bab). The real-time kinetic analysis of antigen–antibody interactions using this protocol allows to demonstrate the differences in the avidity of bivalently binding Mabs and monovalent Babs. As shown in our previous study [J. Immunol. Methods 261 (2002) 103], the observed equilibrium association constants (K_ass) determined by IAsys using this protocol yield figures almost overlapping with those obtained by solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA). The described protocol is suited for the investigation of the effects of valency on the binding properties of antibodies. It also may be applied for the selection of Mabs and Babs with desired features, for different fields of application.     

Improving the representativeness of influenza viruses shared within the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System

Background

Sharing influenza viruses within the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System is crucial for monitoring evolution of influenza viruses.

Objectives

Analysis of timeliness and geographic representativeness of viruses shared by National Influenza Centres (NICs) in the WHO European Region with the London WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza for the Northern Hemisphere''s 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 influenza seasons.

Materials and methods

Data from NICs on influenza‐positive specimens shared with WHO CC London for the above‐mentioned influenza seasons were analyzed for timeliness of sharing with respect to the February deadline (31 January) for inclusion in the WHO consultations on the composition of influenza virus vaccines for the Northern Hemisphere and geographic representativeness.

Results

The 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 seasons were different in terms of the seasonal pattern, the timing of the epidemic, and the dominant virus. Consistent patterns of virus sharing across the seasons were observed. Approximately half the viruses collected before the deadline were not shared within the deadline; the average delay between date of specimen collection and shipment receipt was 3 and 1·5 months for the first and second season, respectively.

Conclusion

A baseline was provided for future work on enhancement of specimen sharing in the WHO European Region and improving the vaccine virus selection process. Greater insight into virus selection criteria applied by countries and the causes of delays in shipment are needed to understand the representativeness of viruses shared and to assess the importance of this for vaccine strain selection.     

Ruptured aneurysm of the right sinus of valsalva associated with a ventricular septal defect and an anomalous coronary artery

Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are extremely rare. Ruptured aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are frequently associated with other congenital defects, particularly with ventricular septal defect, aortic valve regurgitation, and bicuspid aortic valve. We describe the case of a 26-year-old man who had a ruptured aneurysm of the right coronary sinus, a ventricular septal defect, and an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery. Successful surgical correction of the aneurysm and ventricular septal defect was performed with patch repair and aortic valve replacement. A review of the English-language medical literature revealed only 1 other case of a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm associated with a ventricular septal defect and an anomalous coronary artery. Previously published reports of the coexistence of a single coronary artery with a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm or with a ventricular septal defect, and their management, are discussed herein.     

Electrospinning of polyhydroxyalkanoate fibrous scaffolds: effects on electrospinning parameters on structure and properties

In this study, electrospinning was used to prepare ultrafine fibers from PHAs with different chemical compositions: P(3HB) and copolymers: P(3HB-co-4HB), P(3HB-co-3HV), and P(3HB-co-3HHx). The main process parameters that influence ultrafine fiber diameter and properties (polymer concentration, solution feeding rate, working distance, and applied voltage) have been investigated and their effects evaluated. The study revealed electrospinning parameters for the production of high-quality ultrafine fibers and determined which parameters should be varied to tailor the properties of the products. This study is the first to compare biological and physical-mechanical parameters of PHAs with different chemical compositions as dependent upon the fractions of monomers constituting the polymers and ultrafine fiber orientation. Mechanical strength of aligned ultrafine fibers prepared from different PHAs is higher than that of randomly oriented ones; no significant effect of ultrafine fiber orientation on surface properties has been found. None of the fibrous scaffolds produced by electrospinning from PHAs had any adverse effects on attachment, growth, and viability of NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells, and all of them were found to be suitable for tissue engineering applications.