Resolved rotation-vibration non-equilibrium with rotational VIPA-CARS.

Simultaneous rotational and vibrational temperatures are measured in an N2 plasma with rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) resolved with a virtually imaged phased array (VIPA)-based spectrometer. A VIPA spectrally separates rotational transitions for each vibrational state, allowing vibrational populations to be directly measured. VIPA-CARS is shown to provide more accurate measurements of non-equilibrium temperatures than grating-resolved rotational CARS. The general characteristics, limitations, and potential uses of VIPA-CARS are discussed.

Constructing a classification of hypersensitivity/allergic diseases for ICD-11 by crowdsourcing the allergist community.

The global allergy community strongly believes that the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) offers a unique opportunity to improve the classification and coding of hypersensitivity/allergic diseases via inclusion of a specific chapter dedicated to this disease area to facilitate epidemiological studies, as well as to evaluate the true size of the allergy epidemic. In this context, an international collaboration has decided to revise the classification of hypersensitivity/allergic diseases and to validate it for ICD-11 by crowdsourcing the allergist community. After careful comparison between ICD-10 and 11 beta phase linearization codes, we identified gaps and trade-offs allowing us to construct a classification proposal, which was sent to the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) sections, interest groups, executive committee as well as the World Allergy Organization (WAO), and American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) leaderships. The crowdsourcing process produced comments from 50 of 171 members contacted by e-mail. The classification proposal has also been discussed at face-to-face meetings with experts of EAACI sections and interest groups and presented in a number of business meetings during the 2014 EAACI annual congress in Copenhagen. As a result, a high-level complex structure of classification for hypersensitivity/allergic diseases has been constructed. The model proposed has been presented to the WHO groups in charge of the ICD revision. The international collaboration of allergy experts appreciates bilateral discussion and aims to get endorsement of their proposals for the final ICD-11.

Guidelines and good clinical practice recommendations for contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the liver--update 2012: a WFUMB-EFSUMB initiative in cooperation with representatives of AFSUMB, AIUM, ASUM, FLAUS and ICUS.

Initially, a set of guidelines for the use of ultrasound contrast agents was published in 2004 dealing only with liver applications. A second edition of the guidelines in 2008 reflected changes in the available contrast agents and updated the guidelines for the liver, as well as implementing some non-liver applications. Time has moved on, and the need for international guidelines on the use of CEUS in the liver has become apparent. The present document describes the third iteration of recommendations for the hepatic use of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using contrast specific imaging techniques. This joint WFUMB-EFSUMB initiative has implicated experts from major leading ultrasound societies worldwide. These liver CEUS guidelines are simultaneously published in the official journals of both organizing federations (i.e., Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology for WFUMB and Ultraschall in der Medizin/European Journal of Ultrasound for EFSUMB). These guidelines and recommendations provide general advice on the use of all currently clinically available ultrasound contrast agents (UCA). They are intended to create standard protocols for the use and administration of UCA in liver applications on an international basis and improve the management of patients worldwide.

New flavors from old wheats: exploring the aroma profiles and sensory attributes of local Mediterranean wheat landraces.

Introduction: During the 20th century, the worldwide genetic diversity of wheat was sharply eroded by continual selection for high yields and industry demands for particular standardized qualities. A collection of Israeli and Palestinian landraces (IPLR) was established to represent genetic diversity, accumulated for ten millennia under diverse environments, which was mostly lost in this transition. As our long-term goal is to study this pre- Green Revolution genetic reservoir, herein we focus on its flour and bread quality and sensorial attributes. Methods: Initially, a database was built for the entire IPLR collection (n=901) holding both Triticum durum (durum wheat) and T. aestivum (bread wheat) which included genetic and phenotypic characterization of agronomic traits, grain and flour quality. Then, a representative subset of the IPLR was selected and compared to modern varieties for dough quality, rheology, aroma and taste using both whole and refined flours and breads. The sensory panel used 40 subjects who evaluated common protocol or sourdough breads made by four artisan bakers. Results: Results show modern durum cultivar C-9 had superior rheological properties (gluten index, elasticity, dough development time) as compared with landraces, while bread landrace 'Diar Alla' was markedly preferable for baking in relation to the modern cultivar Gadish. Baking tests and subsequent sensory evaluation clearly demonstrated a preference toward refined breads, apart from whole breads prepared using sourdough starters. In bread wheat, loaves baked using landrace flour were scored higher in several quality parameters, whereas in durum lines, the opposite trend was evident. Loaves baked from landraces 'Diar Alla' and to a lesser extent 'Hittia Soada' presented a markedly different aroma from the control loaves prepared from modern flours, both in terms of overall compositions and individual compounds, including classes such as pyranones, pyrazines, furans and pyrroles (maltol). Modern lines, on the other hand, were consistently richer in terpenes and phenylpropanoids. Further analysis demonstrated a significant association between specific aroma classes and sensory attributes scored by panelists. Discussion: The findings of the study may help advance new niches in the local wheat market aimed at health and nutrition including adapting durum varieties to the bread market and developing flavor-enhanced wholemeal breads.

High-throughput detection and sizing of individual low-index nanoparticles and viruses for pathogen identification.

Rapid, chip-scale, and cost-effective single particle detection of biological agents is of great importance to human health and national security. We report real-time, high-throughput detection and sizing of individual, low-index polystyrene nanoparticles and H1N1 virus. Our widefield, common path interferometer detects nanoparticles and viruses over a very large sensing area, orders of magnitude larger than competing techniques. We demonstrate nanoparticle detection and sizing down to 70 nm in diameter. We clearly size discriminate nanoparticles with diameters of 70, 100, 150, and 200 nm. We also demonstrate detection and size characterization of hundreds of individual H1N1 viruses in a single experiment.

Online hate network spreads malicious COVID-19 content outside the control of individual social media platforms.

We show that malicious COVID-19 content, including racism, disinformation, and misinformation, exploits the multiverse of online hate to spread quickly beyond the control of any individual social media platform. We provide a first mapping of the online hate network across six major social media platforms. We demonstrate how malicious content can travel across this network in ways that subvert platform moderation efforts. Machine learning topic analysis shows quantitatively how online hate communities are sharpening COVID-19 as a weapon, with topics evolving rapidly and content becoming increasingly coherent. Based on mathematical modeling, we provide predictions of how changes to content moderation policies can slow the spread of malicious content.

Idiotype-antiidiotype regulation. IV. Expression of common regulatory idiotopes on fructosan-binding and non-fructosan-binding monoclonal immunoglobulin.

The ABPC-48 Id (A48 Id) is normally not expressed in detectable amounts in the serum of BALB/c mice that have been immunized with bacterial levan (BL). However, A48 Id-bearing anti-BL clones can be activated in BL-immunized mice by three distinct prior treatments: (a) administration of A48 Id-bearing monoclonal proteins to newborn mice; (b) administration of minute amounts of anti-Id antibodies to newborn mice; and (c) production of anti-(anti-A48 Id) antibodies (Ab3), in adult mice. From these three groups of mice, eighteen monoclonal antibodies (MAb) expressing A48 Id were obtained. Regarding the binding specificity, these MAb can be divided into three groups: one that binds only BL, the second that binds BL and displays low cross-reactivity for inulin, and the third that lacks BL- and inulin-binding activity. This latter group was obtained only from adult mice immunized with anti-A48 Id-KLH conjugate. Immuno-chemical analysis of these MAb has shown that the A48 Id is made up of several idiotopes, some of them associated with the combining site and others nonantigen inhibitable. Comparisons of the amino acid sequence of the UPC-10 and A48 VH regions, and the distribution of the A48 Id family on A48, UPC-10, and three MAb, suggested that A48 regulatory idiotypes can be located on the framework segment of VH region. Furthermore, we screened 198 mouse and 80 human myeloma proteins for their ability to express A48 Id. Of these, only MOPC-167, an IgAk phosphocholine (PC)-binding myeloma protein, gave a significant inhibition of binding of labeled A48 to anti-A48 Id antibodies by radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the binding of labeled MOPC-167 to anti-A48 Id antibodies was not inhibited by PC but was inhibited by A48 and 3-76-42 MAb bearing A48, UPC-10 non-antigen-inhibitable idiotopes. These results extend our prediction that the regulatory idiotopes can be expressed not only on antibodies specific for a family of antigens or members of the same network pathway, but also can be shared by antibodies with different antigenic specificity.

Idiotype-antiidiotype regulation. V. The requirement for immunization with antigen or monoclonal antiidiotypic antibodies for the activation of beta 2 leads to 6 and beta 2 leads to 1 polyfructosan-reactive clones in BALB/c mice treated at birth with minute amounts of anti-A48 idiotype antibodies.

The anti-beta 2 leads to 6 fructosan antibodies sharing the idiotypes (Id) of ABPC48 (A48) monoclonal protein represent a silent fraction of the anti-beta 2 leads to 6 fructosan repertoire, since these antibodies cannot be detected during a conventional immune response elicited by bacterial levan (BL). However, the administration at birth of minute amounts of anti-A48 Id antibodies causes a long-lasting activation of A48 Id+-bearing clones. This activation is related to direct interaction of anti-A48 Id antibodies with precursors bearing the A48 Id+ immunoglobulin receptor, since an A48 Id+ response can be transferred with highly purified B cells in lethally irradiated mice. The maturation of these precursors into A48 Id+ anti-beta 2 leads to 6 fructosan antibody-secreting cells requires challenge by the antigen. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) data showed that in 1-mo-old mice an UPC10 (U10)-like spectrotype was observed, whereas in 3-mo-old mice, a new spectrotype binding BL rather than inulin (In) was identified. This spectrotype was observed only in CXBJ mice, the single strain in which an A48 Id+ response was observed. The antigenic challenge can be replaced by a monoclonal anti-A48 Id antibody (i.e., 17-38). Interestingly, in 1-mo-old BALB/c mice treated with anti-A48 Id antibodies, the challenge with 17-38 monoclonal antibody led to the activation of A48 Id- anti-beta 2 leads to 6 fructosan-reactive clones with BALB/c type IEF spectrotypes, whereas in 3-mo-old BALB/c mice treated with anti-A48 Id antibodies, the challenge with 17-38 monoclonal antibody led to the activation of W3082 IdX+ anti-beta 2 leads to 6 and beta 2 leads to 1 fructosan-reactive clones. In these animals, inhibition of A48 Id+ anti-beta 2 leads to 6 fructosan clones was observed. This antibody probably represents a homobody carrying the internal image of the antigen, which through its paratope suppresses the A48 Id+ response and through its Id activates an A48 Id- anti-beta 2 leads to 6 fructosan response in 1-mo-old mice and in 3-mo-old mice leads to an anti-beta 2 leads to 6 and beta 2 leads to 1 fructosan response dominated by the W3082 IdX.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Trauma in pregnancy at a major trauma centre in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Trauma in pregnancy poses a unique challenge to clinicians. Literature on this topic is limited in South Africa (SA). OBJECTIVES: To review our institution's experience with the management of trauma in pregnancy in a developing-world setting. METHODS: This study was based at Grey's Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, SA. All pregnant patients who were admitted to our institution following trauma between December 2012 and December 2018 were identified from the Hybrid Electronic Medical Registry (HEMR). RESULTS: During the 6-year study period, 2 990 female patients were admitted by the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service (PMTS), of whom 89 were pregnant. The mean age of these patients was 25.64 (range 17 - 43) years. The mechanism of injury was road traffic crash (RTC) in 39, stab wounds (SW) in 19, assault other than SW or gunshot wounds (GSW) in 19, GSW in 8, snake bite in 5, impalement in 1, dog bite in 1, hanging in 1, sexual assault in 1 and a single case of a patient being hit by a falling object. A subset of patients sustained >1 mechanism of injury. Thirty patients were managed operatively. The mean time of gestation was 19.16 (5 - 36) weeks. Three patients died, and there were 16 fetal deaths (including 3 lost after the mother's death). Forty-five fetuses were recorded as surviving at discharge, while 25 fetal outcomes were not specifically recorded. There were 2 threatened miscarriages and/or patients with vaginal bleeding, 1 positive pregnancy test with no recorded outcome and no premature births as a result of trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma in pregnancy is relatively uncommon and mostly due to a RTC or deliberately inflicted trauma. Fetal outcome is largely dependent on the severity of the maternal injury, with injuries requiring laparotomy leading to a high fetal mortality rate.

Binding of soluble type I collagen to fibroblasts: effects of thermal activation of ligand, ligand concentration, pinocytosis, and cytoskeletal modifiers.

Efficient binding of native, soluble 125I-labeled type I rat collagen to mouse 3T3 fibroblast monolayers requires prior warming of the ligand to 35-37 degrees C for 10-30 min. Decreased binding at high ligand concentrations is ascribed to ligand-ligand interactions rather than to negative cooperativity. Addition of bacterial collagenase to monolayers labeled with the 125I-ligand releases a constant fraction (80%) of the bound ligand over a 2-h interval at 37 degrees C, indicating that little of the ligand becomes inaccessible by pinocytosis. Colchicine (10(-7) M) and vinblastine (5 X 10(-8) M) do not inhibit binding by morphologically intact monolayers. Cytochalasins and concanavalin A show dose-related inhibition of binding by intact monolayers that is due to a reduction in the number of available binding sites rather than to a change in binding site affinity. The collagen binding site on the fibroblast surface is proposed as an organizing center for the assembly of periodic type I collagen fibrils.

Binding of soluble type I collagen to fibroblasts: specificities for native collagen types, triple helical structure, telopeptides, propeptides, and cyanogen bromide-derived peptides.

Unlabeled collagenous proteins were quantified as inhibitors of binding of native, soluble, radioiodinated type I collagen to the fibroblast surface. Collagen types IV, V a minor cartilage isotype (1 alpha 2 alpha 3 alpha), and the collagenlike tail of acetylcholinesterase did not inhibit binding. Collagen types II and III behaved as competitive inhibitors of type I binding. Denaturation of native collagenous molecules exposed cryptic inhibitory determinants in the separated constituent alpha chains. Inhibition of binding by unlabeled type I collagen was not changed by enzymatic removal of the telopeptides. Inhibitory determinants were detected in cyanogen bromide-derived peptides from various regions of helical alpha 1 (I) and alpha 1(III) chains. The aminoterminal propeptide of chick pro alpha 1(I) was inhibitory for binding, whereas the carboxyterminal three-chain propeptide fragment of human type I procollagen was not. The data are discussed in terms of the proposal that binding to surface receptors initiates the assembly of periodic collagen fibrils in vivo.

Antibodies to a precursor of human collagen.

Antiserum prepared against serum-free medium from human fibroblast cultures reacted specifically with protropocollagen, an assembled, soluble precursor of tropocollagen. The antibodies were directed to antigenic determinants in the nonhelical, amino terminal peptide extensions (propeptides). Amino acid sequences in the precursor molecule corresponding to the telopeptides and helical alpha chains of tropocollagen were not recognized by the antiserum.

Radioimmunoassay for human procollagen.

Rabbit antiserums were produced against the procollagen molecule secreted into the medium of cultured human skin fibroblasts. The isolated antigenic, amino terminal portion of the procollagen molecule was purified, labeled with iodine-125, and used in a radioimmunoassay which detected nanogram quantities of the same antigen. With the assay, immunologically identical molecules were detected in the culture mediumn of different strains of human fibroblasts and in normal human serums. Serumns from human cord blood contained a 12-fold higher concentration of the antigen than serums from adults, while serums other vertebrates gave reactions to incomplete cross-reactivity or non-reactivity.

Io's Sodium Cloud.

The first two-dimensional images of the source region of Io's neutral sodium cloud have been acquired by ground-based observation. Observed asymmetries in its spatial brightness distribution provide new evidence that the cloud is supplied by sodium that is ejected nonisotropically from Io or its atmosphere. Complementary, high-time-resolution, calibrated image sequences that give the first comprehensive picture of the variations of the fainter regions of the cloud extending more than 10(5) kilometers from Io were also obtained. These data demonstrate that the cloud exhibits a persistent systematic behavior coupled with Io's orbital position, a distinct "east-west orbital asymmetry," a variety of spatial morphologies, and true temporal changes. The geometric stability of the sodium source is also indicated. Isolation of the cloud's temporal changes constitutes an important milestone toward its utilization as a long-term probe of Io and the inner Jovian magnetosphere.

Images of Io's Sodium Cloud.

The first direct images of Io's sodium cloud are reported and analyzed. The observed cloud extends for more than 10(5) kilometers along Io's orbit and is a somewhat "banana-shaped" partial toroid. More sodium atoms precede Io than follow it. A model based on the escape of sodium from a specific localized area on Io provides a reasonable fit to the observed intensity distribution whereas isotropic escape does not.

Production of superoxide anion during the oxidation of hemoglobin by menadione.

Menadione in the presence of oxyhemoglobin will accelerate the formation of methemoglobin and result in the generation of superoxide anion. Menadione appears to oxidize slowly ferrohemoglobin to ferrihemoglobin, while forming menadione semiquinone in the process. Menadione semiquinone is known to react with molecular oxygen to yield superoxide anion. The superoxide anion appears to be the source of hydrogen peroxide which accounts for most of the observed methemoglobin formation when hemoglobin is reacted with menadione.

Receptor-specific threshold effects of cyclic AMP are involved in the regulation of enzyme release and superoxide production from human neutrophils.

We have investigated the sequence of events leading from the activation of adenylate cyclase and increases in intracellular cyclic AMP to the modulation of enzyme release and superoxide production in human neutrophils. In the isolated plasma membrane, adenylate cyclase is activated by both prostaglandin E1 and isoproterenol. In the whole cell only a small increase in cyclic AMP is observed, though in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, methylisobutylxanthine a substantial amplification in intracellular cyclic AMP is observed with both isoproterenol and prostaglandin E1. These conditions are relevant to the regulation of cell function, since fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated superoxide production is inhibited by either prostaglandin E1 or isoproterenol in the absence of methylisobutylxanthine, while enzyme release is inhibited only via the prostaglandin E1 receptor and then only in the presence of methylisobutylxanthine. For enzyme release and superoxide production, the order of potency for three prostaglandins tested was prostaglandin E1 greater than prostaglandin D2 much greater than prostaglandin F2 alpha. Our results suggest that (a) superoxide production is more sensitive to regulation by cyclic AMP than enzyme release, (b) the type of receptor occupied as well as the threshold level of cyclic AMP attained are important to the regulation of enzyme release, and (c) although elevation in cyclic AMP is inhibitory to neutrophil function, phosphodiesterase inhibition is required in addition to adenylate cyclase activation to effect maximal inhibition.

S-adenosylmethionine synthetase in bloodstream Trypanosoma brucei.

S-adenosylmethionine synthetase was studied from bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei, the agent of African sleeping sickness. Two isoforms of the enzyme were evident from Eadie Hofstee and Hanes-Woolf plots of varying ATP or methionine concentrations. In the range 10-250 microM the Km for methionine was 20 microM, and this changed to 200 microM for the range 0.5-5.0 mM. In the range 10-250 microM the Km for ATP was 53 microM, and this changed to 1.75 mM for the range 0.5-5.0 mM. The trypanosome enzyme had a molecular weight of 145 kDa determined by agarose gel filtration. Methionine analogs including selenomethionine, L-2-amino-4-methoxy-cis but-3-enoic acid and ethionine acted as competitive inhibitors of methionine and as weak substrates when tested in the absence of methionine with [14C]ATP. The enzyme was not inducible in procyclic trypomastigotes in vitro, and the enzyme half-life was > 6 h. T. b. brucei AdoMet synthetase was inhibited by AdoMet (Ki 240 microM). The relative insensitivity of the trypanosome enzyme to control by product inhibition indicates it is markedly different from mammalian isoforms of the enzyme which are highly sensitive to AdoMet. Since trypanosomes treated with the ornithine decarboxylase antagonist DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine accumulate AdoMet and dcAdoMet (final concentration approximately 5 mM), this enzyme may be the critical drug target linking inhibition of polyamine synthesis to disruption of AdoMet metabolism.

Application of the compound probability density function for characterization of breast masses in ultrasound B scans.

The compound probability density function (pdf) is investigated for the ability of its parameters to classify masses in ultrasonic B scan breast images. Results of 198 images (29 malignant and 70 benign cases and two images per case) are reported and compared to the classification performance reported by us earlier in this journal. A new parameter, the speckle factor, calculated from the parameters of the compound pdf was explored to separate benign and malignant masses. The receiver operating characteristic curve for the parameter resulted in an A(z) value of 0.852. This parameter was combined with one of the parameters from our previous work, namely the ratio of the K distribution parameter at the site and away from the site. This combined parameter resulted in an A(z) value of 0.955. In conclusion, the parameters of the K distribution and the compound pdf may be useful in the classification of breast masses. These parameters can be calculated in an automated fashion. It should be possible to combine the results of the ultrasonic image analysis with those of traditional mammography, thereby increasing the accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis.