Simultaneous co-axial multi-modal inspection using a laser driven x-ray and neutron source.

Laser-plasma interactions have been demonstrated to produce bright sources of energetic radiation including ions, electrons, photons across the electro-magnetic spectrum, and neutrons. Combinations of species can significantly increase information from non-destructive imaging. Here we demonstrate single-shot co-axial radiography with both x-ray and fast-neutron radiation from a laser-driven source using a pair of gated microchannel plate photomultiplier tube channels and a fast scintillator medium.

Mitofusin-2 Regulates Platelet Mitochondria and Function.

Background: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms linked with the rs1474868 T allele ( [mitofusin-2] T/T) in the human mitochondrial fusion protein gene are associated with reduced platelet RNA expression and platelet counts. This study investigates the impact of MFN2 on megakaryocyte and platelet biology.

Methods: Mice with megakaryocyte/platelet deletion of ( [ conditional knockout]) were generated using Pf4-Cre crossed with floxed mice.

ZT-01: A novel somatostatin receptor 2 antagonist for restoring the glucagon response to hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes.

Aim: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of a novel somatostatin receptor 2 antagonist, ZT-01, to stimulate glucagon release in rats with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: The pharmacokinetics of ZT-01 and PRL-2903 were assessed following intraperitoneal or subcutaneous dosing at 10 mg/kg. We compared the efficacy of ZT-01 with PRL-2903 to prevent hypoglycaemia during an insulin bolus challenge and under hypoglycaemic clamp conditions.

DIFFUSE IDIOPATHIC SKELETAL HYPEROSTOSIS IN CAPTIVE GORILLAS ( SPP.): APPEARANCES AND DIAGNOSIS.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a disorder of unknown cause, in which new bone forms in soft tissues attached to the skeleton. Originally described in humans, in whom it is quite common, it is usually asymptomatic. New bone may completely bridge across joints, especially in the spine.

Biofortification of Chicken Eggs with Vitamin K-Nutritional and Quality Improvements.

National nutrition surveys have shown that over half of all adults in Ireland, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (USA) have low vitamin K intakes. Thus, dietary strategies to improve vitamin K intakes are needed, and vitamin K biofortification of food may be one food-based approach. The primary aim of our study was to establish whether increasing the vitamin K content of hen feed can increase the vitamin K content of eggs, and the secondary aims were to examine the effects on hen performance parameters, as well as egg and eggshell quality parameters.

Teaching Undergraduate Clinicians Empirically Supported Practices for Preschool Vocabulary Instruction.

Purpose To incorporate evidence-based practice into clinical settings, there is a need for efficient, effective ways to share information from research to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and to students preparing to become SLPs. The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a method for teaching undergraduate student clinicians to use empirically supported practices in vocabulary instruction during shared storybook reading with preschoolers. Method Undergraduate students enrolled in a semester-long preschool practicum participated in the study.

Poor bioavailability of vitamin D from ultraviolet-irradiated D-rich yeast in rats.

Ultraviolet-irradiated yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) can be used to biofortify bakery products with vitamin D, but in bread, it was not effective in increasing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in humans, possibly because of the low digestibility of the yeast matrix. We investigated the effects of vitamin D-rich intact yeast cells and their separated fraction, yeast cell walls, which we hypothesized to provide vitamin D in a more bioavailable form, on serum 25(OH)D and its metabolites in growing female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 54) compared to vitamin D and D supplements (8 treatment groups: 300 or 600 IU vitamin D/d, and a control group, 8-week intervention). The D supplement groups had the highest 25(OH)D concentrations, and the vitamin D supplement at the 600-IU dose increased 25(OH)D better than any yeast form (P < .

Interactions between Vitamin D Status, Calcium Intake and Parathyroid Hormone Concentrations in Healthy White-Skinned Pregnant Women at Northern Latitude.

Adverse effects of low vitamin D status and calcium intakes in pregnancy may be mediated through functional effects on the calcium metabolic system. Little explored in pregnancy, we aimed to examine the relative importance of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and calcium intake on parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in healthy white-skinned pregnant women. This cross-sectional analysis included 142 participants (14 ± 2 weeks' gestation) at baseline of a vitamin D intervention trial at 51.

A Mediterranean-like dietary pattern with vitamin D3 (10 µg/d) supplements reduced the rate of bone loss in older Europeans with osteoporosis at baseline: results of a 1-y randomized controlled trial.

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is widely recommended for the prevention of chronic disease, but evidence for a beneficial effect on bone health is lacking.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern [NU-AGE (New Dietary Strategies Addressing the Specific Needs of the Elderly Population for Healthy Aging in Europe)] on indexes of inflammation with a number of secondary endpoints, including bone mineral density (BMD) and biomarkers of bone and collagen degradation in a 1-y multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT; NU-AGE) in elderly Europeans.

Design: An RCT was undertaken across 5 European centers.

Estimation of the maternal vitamin D intake that maintains circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D in late gestation at a concentration sufficient to keep umbilical cord sera ≥25-30 nmol/L: a dose-response, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial in pregnant women at northern latitude.

Background: In the absence of dose-response data, Dietary Reference Values for vitamin D in nonpregnant adults are extended to pregnancy.

Objective: The aim was to estimate vitamin D intake needed to maintain maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in late gestation at a concentration sufficient to prevent newborn 25(OH)D <25-30 nmol/L, a threshold indicative of increased risk of nutritional rickets.

Design: We conducted a 3-arm, dose-response, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial in Cork, Ireland (51.

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on markers for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for the causal role of vitamin D on noncommunicable disease outcomes is inconclusive.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are beneficial or harmful effects of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) supplementation according to subgroups of remeasured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] on cardiovascular and glucometabolic surrogate markers with the use of individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis of RCTs.

Design: Twelve RCTs (16 wk to 1 y of follow-up) were included.

The use of synthetic and natural vitamin D sources in pig diets to improve meat quality and vitamin D content.

This study investigated the effects of synthetic and natural sources of vitamin D biofortification in pig diets on pork vitamin D activity and pork quality. One hundred and twenty pigs (60 male, 60 female) were assigned to one of four dietary treatments for a 55 d feeding period. The dietary treatments were (1)50 μg vitamin D₃/kg of feed; (2)50 μg of 25-hydroxvitamin D₃/kg of feed (25-OH-D₃); (3)50 μg vitamin D₂/kg of feed; (4)50 μg vitamin D₂-enriched mushrooms/kg of feed (Mushroom D₂).

Quantitative assessment of reflux in commercially available needle-free IV connectors.

Introduction: Blood reflux is caused by changes in pressure within intravascular catheters upon connection or disconnection of a syringe or intravenous tubing from a needle-free connector (NFC). Changes in pressure, differing with each brand of NFC, may result in fluid movement and blood reflux that can contribute to intraluminal catheter occlusions and increase the potential for central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI).

Methods: In this study, 14 NFC brands representing each of the four market-categories of NFCs were selected for evaluation of fluid movement occurring during connection and disconnection of a syringe.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among schoolchildren in Greece: the role of sex, degree of urbanisation and seasonality.

The current study was aiming to report the prevalence of suboptimal vitamin D status among schoolchildren in Greece and investigate the role of sex, urbanisation and seasonality on vitamin D status. A sample of 2386 schoolchildren (9-13 years old) from four distinct prefectures was examined. The prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration <30 and <50 nmol/l (vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency respectively) was 5·2 and 52·5 %, respectively.

The positive impact of general vitamin D food fortification policy on vitamin D status in a representative adult Finnish population: evidence from an 11-y follow-up based on standardized 25-hydroxyvitamin D data.

A systematic vitamin D fortification of fluid milk products and fat spreads was started in 2003 in Finland to improve vitamin D status. We investigated the effects of the vitamin D fortification policy on vitamin D status in Finland between 2000 and 2011. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [S-25(OH)D] concentrations of a nationally representative sample comprising 6134 and 4051 adults aged ≥30 y from the Health 2000 and Health 2011 surveys, respectively, were standardized according to the Vitamin D Standardization Program with the use of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Improved accuracy of an tandem liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method measuring 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D metabolites in serum using unspiked controls and its application to determining cross-reactivity of a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay.

Measurement of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is considered the best indicator of vitamin D status. Two minor vitamin D metabolites are common interferences encountered in 25(OH)D assays. The first is 3-epi-25-hydroxyvitamin D [3-epi-25(OH)D], which if not chromatographically resolved from 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], can overestimate 25(OH)D concentrations.

Foaming Betadine Spray as a potential agent for non-labor-intensive preoperative surgical site preparation.

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) report published in 2009 shows that there were about 16,000 cases of surgical site infection (SSI) following ~ 850,000 operative procedures making SSI one of the most predominant infection amongst nosocomial infections. Preoperative skin preparation is a standard procedure utilized to prevent SSIs thereby improving patient outcomes and controlling associated healthcare costs. Multiple techniques/ products have been used for pre-operative skin preparation, like 2 step scrubbing and painting, 2 step scrubbing and drying, and 1 step painting with a drying time.

Sunlight-assisted route to antimicrobial plasmonic aminoclay catalysts.

We present a straightforward, environmentally-benign, one-pot photochemical route to generate alloyed AgAu bimetallic nanoparticle decorated aminoclays in water at room temperature. The protocol uses no reducing agent (e.g.

Validation study to compare effects of processing protocols on measured N (ε)-(carboxymethyl)lysine and N (ε)-(carboxyethyl)lysine in blood.

Epidemiological studies show that elevated plasma levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are associated with diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease. Thus AGEs have been used as disease progression markers. However, the effects of variations in biological sample processing procedures on the level of AGEs in plasma/serum samples have not been investigated.

Effect of inhibitor compounds on Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and Nε-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) formation in model foods.

The possible adverse effects on health of diet-derived advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and advanced lipoxidation endproducts (ALEs) is of current interest. This study had the objective of determining the effects of the addition of AGE/ALE inhibitors and different types of sugar and cooking oil on Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and Nε-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) formation in model foods (sponge cakes). The cake baked using glucose produced the highest level of CML (2.

John MacCulloch, MD (1773-1835): a dedicated geologist.

The teaching in Scottish medical schools in the second half of the 18th century had a reputation that stretched far beyond Britain. Edinburgh attracted students not only for its high academic standards but also for its freedom from religious constraints and its developing interest in the sciences. John MacCulloch was taught at Edinburgh by Joseph Black (1728-99) who had chosen chemistry as a career rather than medicine.