Resonant Auger decay driving intermolecular Coulombic decay in molecular dimers.

In 1997, it was predicted that an electronically excited atom or molecule placed in a loosely bound chemical system (such as a hydrogen-bonded or van-der-Waals-bonded cluster) could efficiently decay by transferring its excess energy to a neighbouring species that would then emit a low-energy electron. This intermolecular Coulombic decay (ICD) process has since been shown to be a common phenomenon, raising questions about its role in DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation, in which low-energy electrons are known to play an important part. It was recently suggested that ICD can be triggered efficiently and site-selectively by resonantly core-exciting a target atom, which then transforms through Auger decay into an ionic species with sufficiently high excitation energy to permit ICD to occur. Here we show experimentally that resonant Auger decay can indeed trigger ICD in dimers of both molecular nitrogen and carbon monoxide. By using ion and electron momentum spectroscopy to measure simultaneously the charged species created in the resonant-Auger-driven ICD cascade, we find that ICD occurs in less time than the 20 femtoseconds it would take for individual molecules to undergo dissociation. Our experimental confirmation of this process and its efficiency may trigger renewed efforts to develop resonant X-ray excitation schemes for more localized and targeted cancer radiation therapy.

On-chip THz spectrometer for bunch compression fingerprinting at fourth-generation light sources.

The layout of an integrated millimetre-scale on-chip THz spectrometer is presented and its peformance demonstrated. The device is based on eight Schottky-diode detectors which are combined with narrowband THz antennas, thereby enabling the simultaneous detection of eight frequencies in the THz range on one chip. The size of the active detector area matches the focal spot size of superradiant THz radiation utilized in bunch compression monitors of modern linear electron accelerators. The 3 dB bandwidth of the on-chip Schottky-diode detectors is less than 10% of the center frequency and allows pulse-resolved detection at up to 5 GHz repetition rates. The performance of a first prototype device is demonstrated at a repetition rate of 100 kHz at the quasi-cw SRF linear accelerator ELBE operated with electron bunch charges between a few pC and 100 pC.

[Congenital erythropoietic porphyria : An update]. / Kongenitale erythropoetische Porphyrie : Ein Update.

BACKGROUND: Congenital erythropoetic porphria is a very rare type of autosomal recessive nonacute porphyria. Homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the uroporphyrinogen III consynthase gene cause a marked enzymatic deficiency of uroporphyrinogen III consynthase, the fourth enzyme along the heme biosynthetic pathway. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: Clinically, affected patients are characterized by a moderate to severe photosensitivity. Starting early in infancy, they develop blisters, erosions, and exulcerations in sun-exposed areas of the body, often resulting in scar formation and mutilation. Besides the cutaneous changes, hemolytic anemia, transfusion-dependent pancytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly and liver cirrhosis can occur. Due to increased susceptibility for infections and because of the hematological and hepatic complications, affected individuals have a decreased life expectancy, rarely exceeding 40 years of age. TREATMENT: Currently, no causal treatment is available for the disorder. Therefore, the most important therapeutic modality is strict avoidance of sunlight, preferably by inversion of the day-night rhythm, or at least consequent photoprotection with adequate clothing. In severe cases, bone marrow or stem cell transplantation should be considered.

[Erythropoietic protoporphyria : Clinical manifestations, diagnosis and new therapeutic possibilities]. / Erythropoetische Protoporphyrie : Klinik, Diagnostik und neue therapeutische Möglichkeiten.

BACKGROUND: Erythropoietic protoporphyria, the second most common type of the cutaneous porphyrias, is due to an enzymatic deficiency of ferrochelatase, the last enzyme in heme biosynthesis. The enzyme defect leads to an accumulation of protoporphyrin IX in erythrocytes and an elevated excretion of this metabolite in the feces. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: Usually, disease onset is in early infancy, characterized by increased photosensitivity. During or shortly after sunlight exposure, affected individuals suffer from burning, stinging, itching, and pain in sun-exposed skin areas. These symptoms lead to a considerably reduced quality of life and strict avoidance of sunlight exposure. Subacute symptoms include visible changes like edema and erythema. In the further course of the disease, chronic signs such as lichenification and scarring may occur. A severe complication of hepatic protoporphyrin IX accumulation is the development of a potentially life-threatening fulminant liver failure. Therefore, hepatic laboratory tests and ultrasound of the liver should be performed regularly. THERAPY: Traditionally, therapy merely consisted of consequent photoprotection and orally administered ß-carotene. A novel treatment option is afamelanotide (Scenesse®), a synthetic analogue of the naturally occurring α-melanocyte stimulating hormone. Afamelanotide, administered as a subcutaneous implant, induces eumelanin production, independent of preceding UV light exposure. This may enable patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria to stay in sunlight significantly longer than previously possible without complaints, thus, substantially improving quality of life.

[Diagnosis of the porphyrias : From A (as in aminolevulinic acid) to Z (as in zinc protoporphyrin)]. / Diagnostik der Porphyrien : Von A (wie Aminolävulinsäure) bis Z (wie Zink-Protoporphyrin).

The porphyrias comprise a clinically, biochemically, and genetically heterogeneous group of predominantly hereditary metabolic disorders resulting from a dysfunction along the heme biosynthetic pathway. Whereas most variants can manifest with different cutaneous symptoms, some types only reveal life-threatening acute neurovisceral attacks. Therefore, interdisciplinary care of these patients is advisable. In this article, we provide an overview of characteristic clinical and laboratory findings in the various forms of porphyria and a diagnostic algorithm.

Phototoxicity of narrowband ultraviolet (UV) B (311 nm) compared with broadband UVB in the photo hen's egg test.

BACKGROUND: Broadband ultraviolet B (BB-UVB) is a well-established treatment option in dermatology. However, during the last decade BB-UVB has increasingly been replaced by narrowband UVB 311 nm (NB-UVB), especially in the therapy of psoriasis, atopic eczema and vitiligo. Several studies have indicated a better therapeutic response for almost all indications compared with BB-UVB. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to investigate the phototoxic effects of NB-UVB in comparison with BB-UVB in vivo. METHODS: Therefore, we employed the photo hen's egg test (PHET), an established phototoxic model, based on the yolk sac blood vessel system of incubated hen's eggs. NB-UVB and BB-UVB dosages increasing from 30 up to 1200 mJ cm(-2) were applied on 17 test groups (each n = 12 eggs) and two unirradiated test groups served as controls. Twenty-four hours after irradiation we observed the following test parameters: lethality, membrane discoloration and haemorrhages. RESULTS: Following our results, the lethal half dose (LD50) was 60 and 720 mJ cm(-2) for BB-UVB and NB-UVB, respectively. These LD50 dosages provoked severe membrane discoloration and haemorrhaging. Summarizing our results, the LD50 of NB-UVB was 12-fold higher than BB-UVB. CONCLUSIONS: Interestingly, these findings are in good accordance with the literature, where the minimal erythema dose (MED) of NB-UVB in human skin is up to 14 times higher than the MED of BB-UVB. These results show that the PHET is a valid test model to evaluate the phototoxic effects of various UVB wavelengths. Moreover, our results indicate that regarding the investigation of phototoxic effects the PHET might serve as a model representative for human skin, which might reduce the extent of photoprovocation in humans in the future.

Urban park-related risks for Giardia spp. infection in dogs.

Giardia spp. is a common gastrointestinal (GI) parasite of multiple host species, including dogs and humans, with the potential for zoonotic transmission. The risk of GI parasitism in dogs (including Giardia spp.) may increase with park use in urban areas. This study aimed to (1) determine whether park attendance is a risk factor for Giardia spp. infection in dogs and (2) characterize the behavioural and demographic risk factors for Giardia spp. infection in park-attending and non-park-attending dogs. From August to September 2012, a total of 1293 dog owners completed a survey and 860 corresponding dog faecal samples were collected. Dog faeces were screened for Giardia spp. using a direct immunofluorescence assay and associations assessed among behaviours, demographics, and Giardia spp. infection. Main results included off-leash and swimming frequencies within parks as significantly positively associated with Giardia spp. infection in dogs. Dog-owner age was negatively associated with off-leash and swimming frequencies in parks. The results suggest some recreational behaviours in parks and certain demographics are risk factors for parasitism in pet dogs.

Assessment of human virus removal during municipal wastewater treatment in Edmonton, Canada.

AIMS: To assess the removal of viruses through the multiple steps of wastewater treatment in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant in Alberta, Canada. METHODS AND RESULTS: Samples were collected after each of the five treatment steps for a period of 16 months. The amount of viruses and their infectivity were analysed using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and integrated viral cell culture (ICC), respectively. Bacterial indicator Escherichia coli was also tested using membrane filtration. Seven viruses including Norovirus (NoV), Rotavirus (RV), Sapovirus (SaV), Astrovirus (AsV), Adenovirus (AdV), Enterovirus (EV) and JC virus (JCV) were detected in 16 primary effluents in which infectious viruses were present. Different treatment steps showed various efficiencies in virus removal, with membrane ultrafiltration as the most effective at 4·6-7·0 log reduction. CONCLUSIONS: We observed high prevalence of viruses in raw wastewater and different viral reduction after various treatment steps. The discharge of treated wastewater with infectious viruses represents potential risks to human, animal and environmental health. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the removal of NoV, RV, SaV, AsV, AdV, EV, JCV and Reovirus from wastewater by current procedures of municipal wastewater treatment and discusses the applicability of various viruses as viral indicators for water quality.

Comparative accessory gene fingerprinting of surface water Escherichia coli reveals genetically diverse naturalized population.

AIMS: To utilize comparative accessory gene fingerprinting to discriminate between naturalized and faecal Escherichia coli, with particular emphasis on strains from phylogroup B1. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fourteen accessory genes that were potentially ecotype-specific were selected on the basis of comparative genomic DNA sequence analysis between faecal and environmental strains and also using a literature-based strategy. PCR assays were designed for each gene, and used to screen 107 faecal strains from various hosts and 106 environmental strains from surface water and sediment. While none of the 14 accessory genes were ecotype-specific, six of the genes were ecotype-enriched. Specifically, toxin-antitoxin system genes were more abundant among faecal strains, whereas genes involved in iron acquisition, complement resistance/surface exclusion, and biofilm formation were more abundant among environmental strains. These six genes were used to form composite fingerprints which revealed the presence of several ecotype-specific and -enriched fingerprints. Notably, some of the environmental strain-specific or -enriched fingerprints consisted of strains putatively belonging to clade ET-1, which has been previously recognized as a naturalized subpopulation. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike single genes which did not reliably distinguish between faecal and naturalized phylogroup B1 E. coli strains, composite fingerprints of ecotype-enriched accessory genes may offer a novel method for distinguishing between these two populations. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Accessory gene fingerprinting may have important practical implications for improving the specificity of methods that are widely used for quantifying and identifying the sources of faecal contamination in surface water.

Professional training in creative writing is associated with enhanced fronto-striatal activity in a literary text continuation task.

The aim of the present study was to explore brain activities associated with creativity and expertise in literary writing. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we applied a real-life neuroscientific setting that consisted of different writing phases (brainstorming and creative writing; reading and copying as control conditions) to well-selected expert writers and to an inexperienced control group. During creative writing, experts showed cerebral activation in a predominantly left-hemispheric fronto-parieto-temporal network. When compared to inexperienced writers, experts showed increased left caudate nucleus and left dorsolateral and superior medial prefrontal cortex activation. In contrast, less experienced participants recruited increasingly bilateral visual areas. During creative writing activation in the right cuneus showed positive association with the creativity index in expert writers. High experience in creative writing seems to be associated with a network of prefrontal (mPFC and DLPFC) and basal ganglia (caudate) activation. In addition, our findings suggest that high verbal creativity specific to literary writing increases activation in the right cuneus associated with increased resources obtained for reading processes.

[Porphyria cutanea tarda with sclerodermatous changes and hemochromatosis]. / Porphyria cutanea tarda mit sklerodermiformen Veränderungen und Hämochromatose.

A 55-year-old woman presented with blistering on the back of her hands and shiny, thickened skin in her décolletage. Laboratory examination revealed increased urinary total and high carboxylated porphyrins and homozygosity for mutation C282Y in the HFE gene. Histopathology showed thickened collagen fibers in the presternal region. Based on these findings we made the diagnosis of porphyria cutanea tarda with pseudoscleroderma and hemochromatosis. Pseudoscleroderma is a rare complication of PCT but can also constitute the first cutaneous symptom of the disease, leading the way to diagnosis. Usually, adequate treatment of PCT with normalization of porphyrin values also results in improvement of pseudoscleroderma.

Occurrence of waterborne pathogens and Escherichia coli at offshore drinking water intakes in lake Ontario.

The occurrence of waterborne pathogens was investigated at three drinking water intakes located about 2 km offshore in Lake Ontario. Water sampling was conducted over 3 years for Campylobacter spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., cultivable enteric viruses, and water quality parameters. All pathogens were detected in the offshore source water for each water treatment plant (WTP1 to WTP3), although at relatively low frequencies and concentrations. Giardia was the most common pathogen, occurring in 36% of water samples from the influent of WTP1 (n = 46), and with a maximum concentration of 0.70 cysts/liter in this influent. Cryptosporidium occurred as frequently as 15% in the WTP2 influent (n = 35), with a maximum concentration of 0.40 oocysts/liter in the WTP1 influent. The human Bacteroidales HF183 DNA marker was most common in the WTP1 influent (19%), and this was the only WTP where the Cryptosporidium hominis genotype was detected. No water quality parameter was predictive of pathogen occurrence across all three WTP influents. Escherichia coli was often below detection when pathogens were detected, and spikes in E. coli concentrations often did not coincide with pathogen occurrence. After summer rain events, river plumes had E. coli concentrations as high as 222 CFU/100 ml in surface waters 2 km offshore, without impacting drinking water intakes below the thermocline on the lake bottom. At times, prechlorination to control mussels at offshore intake cribs compromised the use of E. coli for "raw" water quality assessment, particularly for chlorine-resistant Cryptosporidium. E. coli measured by standard methods did not reliably predict pathogen occurrence at drinking water intakes in offshore ecosystems.

[Phototoxic and photoallergic reactions]. / Phototoxische und photoallergische reaktionen.

Many artificial or naturally occurring substances are included under the term photosensitizer. After ultraviolet (UV) exposure such agents can lead to increased photosensitivity and subsequently to phototoxic or photoallergic reactions in the skin. From clinical observations and comprehensive studies typical reaction patterns can be deduced which can clarify the difference between phototoxic and photoallergic dermatitis.An illuminated epicutaneous test based on conventional epicutaneous tests, the photopatch test, was developed as a screening method for identification of photosensitizers. The diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of the test is comparable to conventional epicutaneous testing. If possible photosensitizers do not cause any relevant reactions with the photopatch test, other test procedures, such as the photoprick, photoscratch and illuminated intracutaneous tests are available. If the actual photosensitizer is not the test substance but a metabolite of the test substance, a systemic photoprovocation test can be indicated.

[Intracavernous injection: a treatment modality for erectile dysfunction]. / Schwellkörperinjektionstherapie bei erektiler Dysfunktion.

A 56-year-old man presented with a 12-year history of erectile dysfunction, which caused him extreme distress with episodes of depression. Attempts with sildenafil did not improve his erections. We tried intracavernous injection of alprostadil which enabled the patient to achieve a moderate erection. Thus, we instructed the patient for self-injection, which led to sufficient erections over the following months. We then restarted with tadalafil as a monotherapy which then was successful.

[Assessment method of cognitive load and stress inducer factors of surgeons and anesthetists in the operating room]. / Méthodes d'évaluation de la charge cognitive et des facteurs inducteurs de stress des chirurgiens et anesthésistes au bloc opératoire.

INTRODUCTION: For many years, surgeons and anesthetists have recognized that stress can be present in their daily professional practice. The goal of this study was to identify tools for assessing stress and cognitive load in the operating room. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a literature review in the PubMed database of scientific articles published on the subject without date limit using the keywords anesthesia, surgery, surgeon, cognitive workload, definition, pathophysiology, physiological measurement, objective, subjective, stress. RESULTS: Nineteen articles were selected, focusing on cardiac surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, vascular surgery and urology. No publications concerning ophthalmology were found through the literature search. The means of measurement found were either subjective, such as questionnaires, or objective, such as the study of heart rate variability (HRV), reaction time, eye movements, electrical conductivity of the skin, biological markers and electroencephalogram. Of all these measurement tools, the NASA-TLX questionnaire, used in four articles, and the HRV study, used in eight articles, appear to be the most widely used and are strongly correlated with stress. CONCLUSION: The articles reviewed use only some of the available tools for assessment of stress and cognitive load. The main objective is to improve the quality of care and the quality of life of caregivers. It would be interesting to develop other methods to identify and better characterize the risk factors that increase stress and cognitive load.

The role of drinking water in the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli.

To determine whether drinking water contaminated with antimicrobial-resistant E. coli is associated with the carriage of resistant E. coli, selected households sending water samples to Ontario and Alberta laboratories in 2005-2006 were asked to participate in a cross-sectional study. Household members aged ≥12 years were asked to complete a questionnaire and to submit a rectal swab. In 878 individuals, 41% carried a resistant strain of E. coli and 28% carried a multidrug-resistant strain. The risk of carriage of resistant E. coli was 1·26 times higher for users of water contaminated with resistant E. coli. Other risk factors included international travel [prevalence ratio (PR) 1·33], having a child in nappies (PR 1·33), being male (PR 1·33), and frequent handling of raw red meats (PR 1·10). Protecting private water sources (e.g. by improving systems to test and treat them) may help slow the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli.

Impact of riparian zone protection from cattle on nutrient, bacteria, F-coliphage, and loading of an intermittent stream.

This 5-yr study compared, via an upstream-downstream experimental design, nutrient and microbial water quality of an intermittent stream running through a small pasture (∼2.5 animals ha) where cattle are restricted from the riparian zone (restricted cattle access [RCA]) and where cattle have unrestricted access to the stream (unrestricted cattle access [URCA]). Fencing in the RCA excluded pasturing cattle to within ∼3 to 5 m of the stream. Approximately 88% (26/32) of all comparisons of mean contaminant load reduction for lower, higher, and all stream flow conditions during the 5-yr study indicated net contaminant load reductions in the RCA; for the URCA, this percentage was 38% (12/32). For all flow conditions, mean percent load reductions in the RCA for nutrients and bacteria plus F-coliphage were 24 and 23%, respectively. These respective percentages for the URCA were -9 and -57% (positive values are reductions; negative values are increases). However, potentially as a result of protected wildlife habitat in the RCA, the mean percent load reduction for for "all flow" was -321% for the RCA and 60% for the URCA; for , these respective percentages were -209% (RCA) and 73% (URCA). For "all flow" situations, mean load reductions for the RCA were significantly greater ( < 0.1) than those from the URCA for NH-N, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), total coliform, , and . For "high flow" situations, mean load reductions were significantly greater for the RCA for DRP, total coliform, and . For "low flow" conditions, significantly greater mean load reductions were in favor of the RCA for DRP, total P, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, , and . In no case were mean pollutant loads in the URCA significantly higher than RCA pollutant loads. Restricting pasturing livestock to within 3 to 5 m of intermittent streams can improve water quality; however, water quality impairment can occur if livestock have unrestricted access to a stream.

Investigation of an Escherichia coli environmental benchmark for waterborne pathogens in agricultural watersheds in Canada.

Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative sought to develop an environmental benchmark for low-level waterborne pathogen occurrence in agricultural watersheds. A field study collected 902 water samples from 27 sites in four intensive agricultural watersheds across Canada from 2005 to 2007. Four of the sites were selected as reference sites away from livestock and human fecal pollution sources in each watershed. Water samples were analyzed for Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and the water quality indicator E. coli. The annual mean number of pathogen species was higher at agricultural sites (1.54 ± 0.07 species per water sample) than at reference sites (0.75 ± 0.14 species per water sample). The annual mean concentration of E. coli was also higher at agricultural sites (491 ± 96 colony-forming units [cfu] 100 mL(-1)) than at reference sites (53 ± 18 cfu 100 mL(-1)). The feasibility of adopting existing E. coli water quality guideline values as an environmental benchmark was assessed, but waterborne pathogens were detected at agricultural sites in 80% of water samples with low E. coli concentrations (<100 cfu 100 mL(-1)). Instead, an approach was developed based on using the natural background occurrence of pathogens at reference sites in agricultural watersheds to derive provisional environmental benchmarks for pathogens at agricultural sites. The environmental benchmarks that were derived were found to represent E. coli values lower than geometric mean values typically found in recreational water quality guidelines. Additional research is needed to investigate environmental benchmarks for waterborne pathogens within the context of the "One World, One Health" perspective for protecting human, domestic animal, and wildlife health.

Robot-Assisted Bone Cement Injection.

In this article, assistance to bone cement injection is studied, with a focus on vertebroplasty, a procedure dedicated to the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. A robotic system that can remotely be operated at pressures up to 140 bar is presented. It improves cement polymerization control, combining a cold passive exchanger that slows down the cement curing in the syringe and an active exchanger that controls the injected cement temperature. The cement remote injection uses a rate control teleoperation strategy with force feedback to help monitoring the cement state. In addition to laboratory assessments, cadaver experiments were performed to illustrate the satisfactory operation of the whole system.

Intergenic sequence comparison of Escherichia coli isolates reveals lifestyle adaptations but not host specificity.

Establishing the risk of human infection is one of the goals of public health. For bacterial pathogens, the virulence and zoonotic potential can often be related to their host source. Escherichia coli bacteria are common contaminants of water associated with human recreation and consumption, and many strains are pathogenic. In this study, we analyzed three promoter-containing intergenic regions from 284 diverse E. coli isolates in an attempt to identify molecular signatures associated with specific host types. Promoter sequences controlling production of curli fimbriae, flagella, and nutrient import yielded a phylogenetic tree with isolates clustered by established phylogenetic grouping (A, B1, B2, and D) but not by host source. Virulence genes were more prevalent in groups B2 and D isolates and in human isolates. Group B1 isolates, primarily from nonhuman sources, were the most genetically similar, indicating that they lacked molecular adaptations to specific host environments and were likely host generalists. Conversely, B2 isolates, primarily from human sources, displayed greater genetic distances and were more likely to be host adapted. In agreement with these hypotheses, prevalence of σ(S) activity and the rdar morphotype, phenotypes associated with environmental survival, were significantly higher in B1 isolates than in B2 isolates. Based on our findings, we speculate that E. coli host specificity is not defined by genome-wide sequence changes but, rather, by the presence or absence of specific genes and associated promoter elements. Furthermore, the requirements for colonization of the human gastrointestinal tract may lead to E. coli lifestyle changes along with selection for increased virulence.