Penetration of Energized Metal Fragments to Porcine Thoracic Tissues.

Energized fragments from explosive devices have been the most common mechanism of injury to both military personnel and civilians in recent conflicts and terrorist attacks. Fragments that penetrate into the thoracic cavity are strongly associated with death due to the inherent vulnerability of the underlying structures. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of fragment-simulating projectiles (FSPs) to tissues of the thorax in order to identify the thresholds of impact velocity for perforation through these tissues and the resultant residual velocity of the FSPs. A gas-gun system was used to launch 0.78-g cylindrical and 1.13-g spherical FSPs at intact porcine thoracic tissues from different impact locations. The sternum and rib bones were the most resistant to perforation, followed by the scapula and intercostal muscle. For both FSPs, residual velocity following perforation was linearly proportional to impact velocity. These findings can be used in the development of numerical tools for predicting the medical outcome of explosive events, which in turn can inform the design of public infrastructure, of personal protection, and of medical emergency response.

Implications of Frailty among Men with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators.

OBJECTIVES: Frailty is associated with adverse outcomes, but little is known of the impact of frailty on patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). This study sought to determine the prevalence of frailty, based on quantitative assessment, and assessed its potential impact on outcomes among community-dwelling men with ICDs. METHODS: A total of 124 ICD-treated men presenting for a routine device clinic appointment between May and October 2016 underwent frailty assessment consisting of three components: shrinking (weight loss ≥5% during the past year), weakness (inability to rise from a chair without using their arms), and self-reported poor energy level. Patients who had no components were considered robust, those with 1 component were intermediate stage, and those with ≥2 components were deemed frail. RESULTS: Mean age was 70.4 (±9.7) years. Of the 124 men, 31 (25%) were considered to be frail, 65 (52%) were intermediate, and 28 (23%) were robust. Frail men were older and were more likely to have symptomatic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension (P < 0.05 for all) compared with nonfrail men. During a follow-up of 16 months, frail men were significantly more likely to die compared with nonfrail men (29% vs 5.4%, P < 0.0003). The incidence of appropriate ICD shocks (16.1% vs 6.5%) or hospitalizations (38.7% vs 23.7%) tended to be higher among frail versus nonfrail patients, but neither reached statistical significance (P = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Almost one-fourth of men with ICD are frail. Almost one-third of frail ICD patients died within 16 months. It may be useful to assess frailty in patients with ICD.

Dexamethasone-Induced Ocular Hypertension in Mice: Effects of Myocilin and Route of Administration.

Glucocorticoid (GC)-induced ocular hypertension (OHT) is a serious adverse effect of prolonged GC therapy that can lead to iatrogenic glaucoma and permanent vision loss. An appropriate mouse model can help us understand precise molecular mechanisms and etiology of GC-induced OHT. We therefore developed a novel, simple, and reproducible mouse model of GC-induced OHT. GC-induced myocilin expression in the trabecular meshwork (TM) has been suggested to play an important role in GC-induced OHT. We further determined whether myocilin contributes to GC-OHT. C57BL/6J mice received weekly periocular conjunctival fornix injections of a dexamethasone-21-acetate (DEX-Ac) formulation. Intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation was relatively rapid and significant, and correlated with reduced conventional outflow facility. Nighttime IOPs were higher in ocular hypertensive eyes compared to daytime IOPs. DEX-Ac treatment led to increased expression of fibronectin, collagen I, and α-smooth muscle actin in the TM in mouse eyes. No changes in body weight indicated no systemic toxicity associated with DEX-Ac treatment. Wild-type mice showed increased myocilin expression in the TM on DEX-Ac treatment. Both wild-type and Myoc-/- mice had equivalent and significantly elevated IOP with DEX-Ac treatment every week. In conclusion, our mouse model mimics many aspects of GC-induced OHT in humans, and we further demonstrate that myocilin does not play a major role in DEX-induced OHT in mice.

Subclonal diversity arises early even in small colorectal tumours and contributes to differential growth fates.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: The goal of the study was to determine whether the mutational profile of early colorectal polyps correlated with growth behaviour. The growth of small polyps (6-9 mm) that were first identified during routine screening of patients was monitored over time by interval imaging with CT colonography. Mutations in these lesions with known growth rates were identified by targeted next-generation sequencing. The timing of mutational events was estimated using computer modelling and statistical inference considering several parameters including allele frequency and fitness. RESULTS: The mutational landscape of small polyps is varied both within individual polyps and among the group as a whole but no single alteration was correlated with growth behaviour. Polyps carried 0-3 pathogenic mutations with the most frequent being in APC, KRAS/NRAS, BRAF, FBXW7 and TP53. In polyps with two or more pathogenic mutations, allele frequencies were often variable, indicating the presence of multiple populations within a single tumour. Based on computer modelling, detectable mutations occurred at a mean polyp size of 30±35 crypts, well before the tumour is of a clinically detectable size. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that small colon polyps can have multiple pathogenic mutations in crucial driver genes that arise early in the existence of a tumour. Understanding the molecular pathway of tumourigenesis and clonal evolution in polyps that are at risk for progressing to invasive cancers will allow us to begin to better predict which polyps are more likely to progress into adenocarcinomas and which patients are at greater risk of developing advanced disease.

Anterior chamber perfusion versus posterior chamber perfusion does not influence measurement of aqueous outflow facility in living mice by constant flow infusion.

Mice are now routinely utilized in studies of aqueous humor outflow dynamics. In particular, conventional aqueous outflow facility (C) is routinely measured via perfusion of the aqueous chamber by a number of laboratories. However, in mouse eyes perfused ex-vivo, values for C are variable depending upon whether the perfusate is introduced into the posterior chamber (PC) versus the anterior chamber (AC). Perfusion via the AC leads to posterior bowing of the iris, and traction on the iris root/scleral spur, which may increase C. Perfusion via the PC does not yield this effect. But the equivalent situation in living mice has not been investigated. We sought to determine whether AC versus PC perfusion of the living mouse eye may lead to different values for C. All experiments were conducted in C57BL/6J mice (all ♀) between the ages of 20 and 30 weeks. Mice were divided into groups of 3-4 animals each. In all groups, both eyes were perfused. C was measured in groups 1 and 2 by constant flow infusion (from a 50 µL microsyringe) via needle placement in the AC, and in the PC, respectively. To investigate the effect of ciliary muscle (CM) tone on C, groups 3 and 4 were perfused live via the AC or PC with tropicamide (muscarinic receptor antagonist) added to the perfusate at a concentration of 100 µM. To investigate immediate effect of euthanasia, groups 5 and 6 were perfused 15-30 min after death via the AC or PC. To investigate the effect of CM tone on C immediately following euthanasia, groups 7 and 8 were perfused 15-30 min after death via the AC or PC with tropicamide added to the perfusate at a concentration of 100 µM. C in Groups 1 (AC perfusion) and 2 (PC perfusion) was computed to be 19.5 ± 0.8 versus 21.0 ± 2.1 nL/min/mmHg, respectively (mean ± SEM, p > 0.4, not significantly different). In live animals in which tropicamide was present in the perfusate, C in Group 3 (AC perfusion) was significantly greater than C in Group 4 (PC perfusion) (22.0 ± 4.0 versus 14.0 ± 2.0 nL/min/mmHg, respectively, p = 0.0021). In animals immediately following death, C in groups 5 (AC perfusion) and 6 (PC perfusion) was computed to be 21.2 ± 2.0 versus 22.8 ± 1.4 nL/min/mmHg, respectively (mean ± SEM, p = 0.1196, not significantly different). In dead animals in which tropicamide was present in the perfusate, C in group 7 (AC perfusion) was greater than C in group 8 (PC perfusion) (20.6 ± 1.4 versus 14.2 ± 2.6 nL/min/mmHg, respectively, p < 0.0001). C in eyes in situ in living mice or euthanized animals within 15-30 min post mortem is not significantly different when measured via AC perfusion or PC perfusion. In eyes of live or freshly euthanized mice, C is greater when measured via AC versus PC perfusion when tropicamide (a mydriatic and cycloplegic agent) is present in the perfusate.

Increased risk of chronic osteomyelitis after hip replacement: a retrospective population-based cohort study in an Asian population.

The correlation between hip replacement (Hip-Repl) and chronic osteomyelitis (COM) has not been studied in Asian populations. Thus, we assessed Hip-Repl-related risk of developing COM via a population-based, nationwide, retrospective cohort study. The Hip-Repl cohort was obtained from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, and included patients who underwent Hip-Repl between 2000 and 2010; the control cohort was also selected from this database. Patients with a history of COM were excluded in both cohorts. We used univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) by age, sex, and comorbidities for developing COM. A total of 5349 patients who received a Hip-Repl and 10,372 matched controls were enrolled. In the Hip-Repl group, the risk for COM was 4.18-fold [95 % confidence interval (CI) = 2.24-7.80] higher than that in the control group after adjustment. For patients aged ≤65 years, the risk was 10.0-fold higher (95 % CI = 2.89-34.6). Furthermore, the risk was higher in the Hip-Repl cohort than in the non-Hip-Repl cohort, for both patients without comorbidity (aHR = 16.5, 95 % CI = 2.07-132.3) and those with comorbidity (aHR = 3.49, 95 % CI = 1.78-6.83). The impact of Hip-Repl on the risk for COM was greater among patients not using immunosuppressive drugs, and occurred during the first postoperative year. Patients who received Hip-Repl have an increased risk of developing COM. This risk was higher among males and patients aged 65 years or younger, and during the first postoperative year.

Comparison of Associations of DXA and CT Visceral Adipose Tissue Measures With Insulin Resistance, Lipid Levels, and Inflammatory Markers.

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) measured by computed tomography (CT) is related to insulin resistance, lipids, and serum inflammatory markers. Our objective was to compare the strength of the associations of VAT measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA-VAT) and CT (CT-VAT) with insulin resistance, serum lipids, and serum markers of inflammation. For 1117 men aged 65 and older enrolled in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study, the cross-sectional associations of DXA-VAT and CT-VAT with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (homa2ir), C-reactive protein, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were estimated with regression models and compared using a Hausman test. Adjusted for age and body mass index, DXA-VAT was moderately associated with homa2ir (effect size 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.28-0.47) and modestly associated with HDL cholesterol (DXA effect size -0.29, 95% CI: -0.38 to -0.21). These associations were significantly greater than those for CT-VAT with homa2ir (0.30, 95% CI: 0.24-0.37; p value for effect size difference 0.03) and CT-VAT with HDL cholesterol (-0.22, 95% CI: -0.29 to -0.15; p value for difference 0.005). Neither DXA-VAT nor CT-VAT was associated with C-reactive protein after adjustment for age and body mass index (DXA-VAT effect size 0.14, 95% CI: -0.04 to 0.32; CT-VAT effect size 0.08, 95% CI: -0.08 to 0.25; p value for difference 0.35). DXA-VAT has similar or greater associations with insulin resistance and HDL cholesterol as does CT-VAT in older men, confirming the concurrent validity of DXA-VAT. Investigations of how well DXA measurements of VAT predict incident cardiovascular disease events are warranted.

Mixed-Metal Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks and their Selective Capture of Wet Carbon Dioxide over Methane.

A presynthesized, square planar copper imidazole complex, [Cu(imidazole)4](NO3)2, was utilized as a precursor in the synthesis of a new series of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks, termed ZIF-202, -203, and -204. The structures of all three members were solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, which revealed ZIF-203 and -204 having successfully integrated square planar units within the backbones of their respective frameworks. As a result of this unit, the structures of both ZIF-203 and -204 were found to adopt unprecedented three-dimensional nets, namely, ntn and thl, respectively. One member of this series, ZIF-204, was demonstrated to be highly porous, exhibit exceptional stability in water, and selectively capture CO2 over CH4 under both dry and wet conditions without any loss in performance over three cycles. Remarkably, the regeneration of ZIF-204 was performed under the mild conditions of flowing a pure N2 gas through the material at ambient temperature.

Inbreeding depression and purging in a haplodiploid: gender-related effects.

Compared with diploid species, haplodiploids suffer less inbreeding depression because male haploidy imposes purifying selection on recessive deleterious alleles. However, alleles of genes only expressed in the diploid females are protected in heterozygous individuals. This leads to the prediction that haplodiploids suffer more from inbreeding effects on life-history traits controlled by genes with female-limited expression. To test this, we used a wild population of the haplodiploid mite Tetranychus urticae. First, negative effects of inbreeding were investigated by comparing maturation rate, juvenile survival, oviposition rate and longevity between lines created by three generations of either outbreeding or mother-son inbreeding. Second, purging through inbreeding was investigated by comparing the intensity of inbreeding depression between outbred families with known inbreeding/outbreeding mating histories. Negative effects of inbreeding and evidence for purging were found for the female trait oviposition rate, but not for juvenile survival and longevity. Both male and female maturation rate were negatively affected by inbreeding, most likely due to maternal effects because inbred offspring of outbred mothers was not affected. These results support the hypothesis that, in haplodiploids inbreeding effects and genetic variation due to deleterious recessive alleles may depend on gender.

An in vitro bioassay for the quantitative evaluation of mosquito repellents against Stegomyia aegypti (=Aedes aegypti) mosquitoes using a novel cocktail meal.

To assess the efficacy of new insect repellents, an efficient and safe in vitro bioassay system using a multiple-membrane blood-feeding device and a cocktail meal was developed. The multiple-membrane blood-feeding device facilitates the identification of new insect repellents by the high-throughput screening of candidate chemicals. A cocktail meal was developed as a replacement for blood for feeding females of Stegomyia aegypti (=Aedes aegypti) (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae). The cocktail meal consisted of a mixture of salt, albumin and dextrose, to which adenosine triphosphate was added to induce engorging. Feeding rates of St. aegypti on the cocktail meal and pig blood, respectively, did not differ significantly, but were significantly higher than the feeding rate on citrate phosphate dextrose-adenine 1 (CPDA-1) solutions, which had been used to replace bloodmeals in previous repellent assays. Dose-dependent biting inhibition rates were analysed using probit analysis. The RD(50) (the dose producing 50% repellence of mosquito feeding) values of DEET, citronella, carvacrol, geraniol, eugenol and thymol were 1.62, 14.40, 22.51, 23.29, 23.83 and 68.05 µg/cm(2), respectively.

Brucellosis in a renal transplant recipient.

Brucellosis is one of the most common systemic zoonotic diseases transmitted by consumption of unpasteurized dairy products or by occupational contact with infected animals. Brucellosis is rare in renal transplant recipients. Only 3 cases have been reported in the literature. We report a case of brucellosis with hematologic and hepatobiliary complications in a patient 3 years after renal transplantation. The mean time from transplantation to the diagnosis of brucellosis in these 4 reported patients was 5.1 years (range 17 months to 13 years). All patients had fever and constitutional symptoms, and all attained clinical cure after combination antibiotic therapy. Given the small number of patients, further study is needed to identify the characteristics of brucellosis in renal transplant recipients. Drug interactions and acute renal failure developed in our patient during antibiotic treatment. Therefore, we should monitor the levels of immunosuppressive agents frequently. Several studies have shown in vitro susceptibilities of Brucella melitensis to tigecycline. In our patient, fever finally subsided after tigecycline administration. The minimum inhibitory concentration of tigecycline using Etest was 0.094 µg/mL. Tigecycline may be a potential option for treatment of brucellosis in the setting of transplantation.

Icephobicity of Hierarchically Rough Aluminum Surfaces Sequentially Coated with Fluoroalkyl and PDMS Alkoxysilanes.

Superhydrophobic surfaces fabricated by grafting 1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl trimethoxysilane (FD-TMS) and polydimethylsiloxane triethoxysilane (PDMS-TES) onto a nano-micro hierarchical aluminum (Al) surface are considered to possess substantial anti-icing functionality, with delayed freezing and low ice-adhesion strength (IAS). Verifying the impacts of PDMS and the synergism of PDMS and FD on the anti-icing performance is the goal of this study. Roughness, one of the prerequisites for superhydrophobicity, was obtained by etching Al substrates in aqueous HCl, followed by immersion in boiling water. FD-TMS and PDMS-TES were then coated on the rough Al substrates layer by layer; a congener coated with a single layer was also prepared for comparison. The FD-PDMS1.92 (1.92 wt.%) coating, in which FD-TMS and PDMS-TES were used as primary and secondary coating materials, respectively, exhibited superior icephobicity, with the lowest IAS of 28 kPa under extremely condensing weather conditions (-20 °C and 70% relative humidity, RH) and the longest freezing delay time of 230 min (at -18 °C). These features are attributed to the incorporation of a dense coating layer with a low-surface-tension FD and the high mobility of PDMS, which lowered the contact area and interaction between the ice and substrate. The substrate coated with FD-PDMS1.92 exhibited improved durability with an IAS of 63 kPa after 40 icing/melting cycles, which is far less than that achieved with the FD single-layer coating.

The risk of fragment penetrating injury to the heart.

Injury due to the penetration of fragments into parts of the body has been the major cause of morbidity and mortality after an explosion. Penetrating injuries into the heart present very high mortality, yet the risk associated with such injuries has not been quantified. Quantifying this risk is key in the design of personal protection and the design of infrastructure. This study is the first quantitative assessment of cardiac penetrating injuries from energised fragments. Typical fragments (5-mm sphere, 0.78-g right-circular cylinder and 1.1-g chisel-nosed cylinder) were accelerated to a range of target striking velocities using a bespoke gas-gun system and impacted ventricular and atrial walls of lamb hearts. The severity of injury was shown to not depend on location (ventricular or atrial wall). The striking velocity with 50% probability of critical injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 5 score) ranged between 31 and 36 m/s across all 3 fragments used. These findings can help directly in reducing morbidity and mortality from explosive events as they can be implemented readily into models that aim to predict casualties in an explosive event, inform protocols for first responders, and improve design of infrastructure and personal protective equipment.

Preventability of Adverse Drug Reactions Related to Antibiotics: An Assessment Based on Spontaneous Reporting System.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are commonly used in both outpatient and inpatient settings and are responsible for the majority of adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports. We aimed to characterize spontaneously reported ADRs associated with antibiotics and assessing the preventability of these ADRs in a Vietnamese setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study based on ADRs related to antibiotics spontaneously reported by healthcare workers to the National Pharmacovigilance Database of Vietnam (NPDV) between June 2018 and May 2019. The characteristics of included reports were descriptively analyzed. The preventability of reported ADRs was assessed using a standardized preventability scale. We identified the leading causes and described the characteristics associated with preventable ADRs (pADRs). RESULTS: We included 6385 antibiotic-related reports from a total of 12,056 reports submitted to the NPDV during the study period. Beta-lactam antibiotics, mostly broad-spectrum with parenteral route, were suspected in the majority cases. The most commonly reported pADRs were allergic reactions, mostly classified under skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders. Of all included cases, 537 cases (8.4%) were deemed as associated with pADRs. Major causes of pADRs include potentially inappropriate prescribing (352/537, 65.5%) and re-administration of antibiotics causing prior allergy/allergies (99/537, 18.4%). The majority of pADRs involved the use of beta-lactam antibiotics with inappropriate indications. CONCLUSION: ADRs related to antibiotic use represent more than half of ADRs spontaneously reported in Vietnam. Approximately one in every ten reported cases is associated with pADRs. The majority pADRs can be prevented through simple improvement in antibiotic prescribing practices.

Clonal spreading of methicillin-resistant SCCmec Staphylococcus aureus with specific spa and dru types in central Taiwan.

The goal of this study was to delineate the molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Taiwan. Ninety-six MRSA isolates were collected from the blood cultures of different patients during the period July to December of 2008. The spa typing, staphylococcal chromosomal cassette (SCCmec) typing, mec-associated direct repeat unit (dru) copy numbers, and toxin genes (sea, seb, sec, tst, lukS/F) of each isolate were determined. Thirty-eight, 28, 18, and 12 MRSA isolates were SCCmec type II, SCCmec type III, SCCmec type IV, and SCCmec type V, respectively. Most (31/38, 81.6%) of the SCCmec type II isolates were of spa t002 with four dru repeats. Some of them also carried the sec or tst toxin gene (67.7 and 80.6%, respectively). Of the 28 SCCmec type III MRSA isolates, 15 (53.6%) were of t037 with 14 dru repeats, and all also carried the sea gene. Of the 18 SCCmec type IV MRSA isolates, 13 (72.2%) were of t437 with nine dru repeats, and ten of them also had the seb gene. Among the SCCmec type V MRSA isolates, nine were type V(T). Five (55.6%) of them were of t437 with 11 dru repeats, and all contained the lukS/F gene. The clonal spreading of SCCmec MRSA strains with specific spa and dru types was found. Further longitudinal, multiple-site surveillance is required in order to define the MRSA evolution in Taiwan.

Facile Synthesis of Fluorinated Polysilazanes and Their Durable Icephobicity on Rough Al Surfaces.

Superhydrophobic Al surfaces with excellent durability and anti-icing properties were fabricated by coating dual-scale rough Al substrates with fluorinated polysilazane (FPSZ). Flat Al plates were etched using an acidic solution, followed by immersion in boiling water to generate hierarchical micro-nano structures on their surfaces. The FPSZ coatings were synthesized by grafting 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (FAS-17), a fluoroalkyl silane), onto methylpolysilazane, an organopolysilazane (OPSZ) backbone. The high water contact angle (175°) and low sliding angle (1.6°) of the FPSZ-coated sample with an FAS-17 content of 17.3 wt% promoted the efficient removal of a frozen ice column with a low ice adhesion strength of 78 kPa at -20.0 °C (70% relative humidity), which was 4.3 times smaller than that of an OPSZ-coated surface. The FPSZ-coated Al surface suppressed ice nucleation, leading to a decrease in ice nucleation temperature from -19.5 to -21.9 °C and a delay in freezing time from 334 to 4914 s at -19.0 °C compared with the OPSZ-coated Al surface. Moreover, after 40 icing-melting cycles the freezing temperature of a water droplet on the FPSZ-coated Al surface remained unchanged, whereas that on the FAS-17-coated Al surface increased from -22.3 to -20.7 °C. Therefore, the durability of the polymeric FPSZ coating was superior to that of the FAS-17 monolayer coating.

Validation of genetic classifiers derived from mouse and human tumors to identify molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Standard treatment for advanced-stage CRC for decades has included 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. More recently, targeted therapies for metastatic CRC are being used based on the individual cancer's molecular profile. In the past few years, several different molecular subtype schemes for human CRC have been developed. The molecular subtypes can be distinguished by gene expression signatures and have the potential to be used to guide treatment decisions. However, many subtyping classification methods were developed using mRNA expression levels of hundreds to thousands of genes, making them impractical for clinical use. In this study, we assessed whether an immunohistochemical approach could be used for molecular subtyping of CRCs. We validated two previously published, independent sets of immunohistochemistry classifiers and modified the published methods to improve the accuracy of the scoring methods. In addition, we evaluated whether protein and genetic signatures identified originally in the mouse were linked to clinical outcomes of patients with CRC. We found that low DDAH1 or low GAL3ST2 protein levels in human CRCs correlate with poor patient outcomes. The results of this study have the potential to impact methods for determining the prognosis and therapy selection for patients with CRC.

Mate choice promotes inbreeding avoidance in the two-spotted spider mite.

Since inbreeding in Tetranychus urticae can reduce offspring fitness, sexual selection may favour disassortative mate choice with respect to relatedness of the mating partners. We tested whether T. urticae shows this preference for mating with unrelated partners. We chose an experimental set-up with high potential for female choosiness, since females only mate once and are therefore expected to be the choosier gender. An adult virgin female was placed together with two adult males from the same population. One male was unrelated and the other male was related-a brother with whom she had grown up. Significantly more copulations (64%) took place with the unrelated male. Time to mating did not depend on the female-to-male relatedness. The remaining (non-copulating) male tried to interfere with the ongoing mating in the majority of cases, but this interference did not depend on the female-to-male relatedness. These results imply that T. urticae (a) can recognize kin (via genetic and/or environmental similarity) and (b) has the potential to avoid inbreeding through mate choice.

Ambulatory dispersal in Tetranychus urticae: an artificial selection experiment on propensity to disperse yields no response.

Dispersal to new hosts is an important process for an invasive herbivore, such as the two-spotted spider mite. A recent study, using artificial selection experiments, has suggested that genetic variation and genetic trade-offs are present for propensity to disperse in this species. However, due to the experimental setup alternative explanations for the response to selection could not be ruled out. Using an altered setup, we investigated whether the propensity for ambulatory dispersal differs genetically between individuals and whether genetic correlations with life-history traits exist. Upward and downward selection on propensity to leave the colony was performed for seven generations in four replicate artificial selection experiments and the results were compared to control lines. No consistent responses to selection were found and no significant effect on life-history traits (oviposition rate, juvenile survival, development rate and number of adult offspring) or sex ratio was present across the replicates. The data suggest that our base population of spider mites harbours at best a low amount of additive genetic variation for this behaviour.

Assessment Of Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) Changes In Patients With High-Voltage Burns.

The aim was to evaluate change in creatine phosphokinase (CK) enzyme in high-voltage burn patients. A retrospective study was conducted of 104 patients (aged from 16 to 83 years old) who suffered from burns due to high voltage and were treated as inpatients at the National Burns Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with limb amputations in group A and patients without limb amputations in group B. Analysis was conducted on medical records of testing for plasma CK level immediately upon admission and during treatment. Testing of CK plasma enzyme was performed on an AU480 machine manufactured by Beckman Coulter. Data were processed using SPSS 20.0 software. Average plasma CK index increased on the first day of admission. In group B, plasma CK enzyme index increased from 5.5 to 22.4 times, and in group A this index increased from 5.6 to 46.5 times compared with the plasma CK index of normal people (170 U/l). The mean plasma CK enzyme index in the amputation group (n=20) was higher than in the non-amputation group (n=84). In patients with limb amputations, CK levels significantly decreased after deep necrosis incision and after amputation (p=0.00001). In patients with burns due to high voltage, plasma CK levels rise in the first days after burns. Increased plasma CK enzyme levels are directly proportional to total burn surface area (TBSA) and burn depth. After escharotomy and amputation, plasma CK levels decreased significantly compared to preoperation levels.

Cette étude rétrospective a pour but d'évaluer les variations des concentrations de CPK cez 104 patients (de 16 à 83 ans) hospitalisés dans l'hôpital brûlologique national après une électrisation par haut voltage. Ils ont été répartis en 2 groupes, selon qu'ils aient subi (groupe A, 20 patients) ou non (groupe B, 84 patients), une amputation de membre. Nous avons récupéré dans les dossiers et étudié les analyses de CPK, faites par le AU480 de Bekman- Coulter (normale ≤170UI/L), effectuées à l'entrée et durant le séjour. L'analyse statistique a utilisé SSPS 20.0. La concentration de CPK était multipliée par 5,6 à 46,5 chez les amputés, par 5,5 à 22,4 chez les autres. Les concentrations de CPK diminuaient significativement après aponévrotomies et amputations (p=0,00001), comparativement à leur niveau pré- opératoire. Les CPK augmententdans les jours qui suivent l'électrisation et sont proportionnel à la surface atteinte ainsi qu'à la profondeur des lésions.