Oxidative balance scores and neural crest cell-related congenital anomalies.

Oxidative stress and redox imbalance adversely affect embryonic development. We developed two oxidative balance scores (OBS) that include dietary and nondietary exposures. We hypothesized that higher scores (i.e., lower oxidative stress) would be associated with lower risk of neural tube defects, orofacial clefts, conotruncal heart defects, and limb deficiencies. We used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study to create a dietary OBS based on intake of 13 nutrients and an overall OBS that included the 13 nutrients and eight additional nondietary factors related to oxidative balance (e.g., smoking). We used logistic regression to examine odds ratios associated with having low or high scores (i.e., <10th or >90th percentiles). Continuous models indicated reduced odds associated with high versus low scores (i.e., comparing odds at the 90th versus 10th percentile values of the distribution) on the overall OBS for cleft lip with or without cleft palate [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63-0.82], longitudinal limb deficiency (aOR 0.73, CI 0.54-0.99), and transverse limb deficiency (aOR 0.74, CI 0.58-0.95); increased odds for anencephaly (aOR 1.40, CI 1.07-1.84); and primarily nonsignificant associations with conotruncal heart defects. Results for the dietary OBS were similar. This study provides some evidence that oxidative stress contributes to congenital anomalies related to neural crest cell development.

Effect of pericardial effusion on outcomes in children admitted with systemic lupus erythematosus: a multicenter retrospective cohort study from the United States.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe characteristics of children admitted with pericardial effusion (PCE) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and determine the association between PCE and outcomes of interest. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS). Patients were included if they were admitted to a PHIS participating hospital from 2004 to 2015 with a diagnosis of SLE and age ≤18 years. Children with congenital heart disease or who had undergone heart surgery were excluded. PCE was the primary predictor variable; multivariable analysis was used to evaluate the effect of PCE on the following outcomes: mortality, length of stay (LOS), and readmission within 30 days. RESULTS: There were 5679 admissions, of which 705 (12.4%) had PCE. Median age at admission was 15 years (interquartile range: 13-17). There were no significant differences for age or sex between patients admitted either with or without PCE. A significantly higher percentage of children in the PCE group were black compared with those without PCE (43% vs. 31%, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, the odds of a black patient having PCE were 1.7 higher than non-black patients ( p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 2.5 times higher in children with PCE compared with those without PCE ( p = 0.027). Those with PCE also had 1.5 greater odds of readmission within 30 days ( p < 0.001). PCE was not associated with increased LOS (0.99, p = 0.753). CONCLUSION: PCE is common in admissions of children with SLE. There are disproportionately more black patients with SLE affected by PCE than non-black. PCE is associated with significantly higher mortality and rates of readmission.

Parental-reported neurodevelopmental issues in Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a congenital multisystem disorder affecting the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system. Limited data have reported neurodevelopmental (ND) issues in LDS. AIMS: To determine the extent of ND issues in patients with LDS. METHODS: A prospective study was performed of LDS patients or their caregivers. The study included data collected via an online survey of age-specific questions. Standard statistical methods were used for baseline and demographic characteristics, as well as group comparisons. OUTCOMES: Data were obtained from 67 patients with LDS (54% female). Median age was 14.9 years. Gene mutations included TGFBR1 (39%), TGFBR2 (40%), SMAD3 (7%), and unknown (14%). Motor delays (30%, 18/61) and hypotonia (63%, 37/60) occurred frequently. Physical (62%, 39/62), occupational (41%, 23/56), and speech therapies (34%, 20/58) were common. Feeding issues were common (41%, 23/56). TGFBR1 mutations were more frequent among those with motor delays and feeding issues. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with LDS and/or their caregivers report at least one ND problem in most cases, and many require therapies. These data suggest ND disorders should be considered to be part of the phenotype.

Spiral plasmonic nanoantennas as circular polarization transmission filters.

We present simulation and experimental results for easily fabricated spiral plasmonic antenna analogues providing circular polarization selectivity. One circular polarization state is concentrated and transmitted through a subwavelength aperture, while the opposite circular state is blocked. The spectral bandwidth, efficiency, and extinction ratios are tunable through geometric parameters. Integration of such structures onto a focal plane array in conjunction with linear micropolarizers enables complete Stokes vector imaging, that, until now, has been difficult to achieve. An array of these structures forms a plasmonic metamaterial that exhibits high circular dichroism.

Ultra-high extinction ratio micropolarizers using plasmonic lenses.

The design of a new type of plasmonic ultra-high extinction ratio micropolarizing transmission filter is presented along with an experimental demonstration. A pair of dielectric coated metal gratings couple incident TM polarized light into surface plasmons, which are fed into a central metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide, followed by transmission through a sub-wavelength aperture. Extinction ratios exceeding 10¹¹ are predicted by finite element simulation. Good absolute agreement for both the spectral and polarization response is obtained between measurement and simulations using measured geometric parameters. The filters can be easily fabricated and sized to match the pixel pitch of current focal plane arrays.

Hybrid plasmon/dielectric waveguide for integrated silicon-on-insulator optical elements.

VLSI compatible optical waveguides on silicon are currently of particular interest in order to integrate optical elements onto silicon chips, and for possible replacements of electrical cross-chip/inter-core interconnects. Here we present simulation and experimental verification of a hybrid plasmon/dielectric, single-mode, single-polarization waveguide for silicon-on-insulator wafers. Its fabrication is compatible with VLSI processing techniques, and it possesses desirable properties such as the absence of birefringence and low sensitivity to surface roughness and metallic losses. The waveguide structure naturally forms an MOS capacitor, possibly useful for active device integration. Simulations predict very long propagation lengths of millimeter scale with micron scale confinement, or sub-micron scale confinement with propagation lengths still in excess of 100 microns. The waveguide may be tuned continuously between these states using standard VLSI processing. Extremely long propagation lengths have been simulated: one configuration presented here has a simulated propagation length of 34 cm.

Surface modification of ZnO using triethoxysilane-based molecules.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an important material for hybrid inorganic-organic devices in which the characteristics of the interface can dominate both the structural and electronic properties of the system. These characteristics can be modified through chemical functionalization of the ZnO surface. One of the possible strategies involves covalent bonding of the modifier using silane chemistry. Whereas a significant body of work has been published regarding silane attachments to glass and SiO2, there is less information about the efficacy of this method for controlling the surface of metal oxides. Here we report our investigation of molecular layers attached to polycrystalline ZnO through silane bonding, controlled by an amine catalyst. The catalyst enables us to use triethoxysilane precursors and thereby avoid undesirable multilayer formation. The polycrystalline surface is a practical material, grown by sol-gel processing, that is under active exploration for device applications. Our study included terminations with alkyl and phenyl groups. We used water contact angles, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy to evaluate the modified surfaces. Alkyltriethoxysilane functionalization of ZnO produced molecular layers with submonolayer coverage and evidence of disorder. Nevertheless, a very stable hydrophobic surface with contact angles approaching 106 degrees resulted. Phenyltriethoxysilane was found to deposit in a similar manner. The resulting surface, however, exhibited significantly different wetting as a result of the nature of the end group. Molecular layers of this type, with a variety of surface terminations that use the same molecular attachment scheme, should enable interface engineering that optimizes the chemical selectivity of ZnO biosensors or the charge-transfer properties of ZnO-polymer interfaces found in oxide-organic electronics.

Interference and resonant cavity effects explain enhanced transmission through subwavelength apertures in thin metal films.

Transmission through an opaque Au film with a single subwavelength aperture centered in a smooth cavity between linear grating structures is studied experimentally and with a finite element model. The model is in good agreement with measured results and is used to investigate local field behavior. It shows that a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) is launched along the metal surface, while interference of the SPP with the incident light along with resonant cavity effects give rise to suppression and enhancement in transmission. Based on experimental and modeling results, peak location and structure of the enhancement/suppression bands are explained analytically, confirming the primary role of SPPs in enhanced transmission through small apertures in opaque metal films.

Integral equations applied to wave propagation in two dimensions: modeling the tip of a near-field scanning optical microscope.

We present a Green's-function/Green's-theorem integral equation approach to numerically modeling two-dimensional, s-polarized, wave propagation problems effectively for a variety of geometries. The model accurately calculates both near fields and far fields because of the minimal assumptions made on the behavior of the scattered radiation. The method was applied to modeling light emission from a near-field scanning optical microscope fiber tip. Several convergence and energy tests were used to give confidence in the results. The behavior of intensity and power near the tip was investigated. The effects of changing the dielectric constant of a sample material located below the tip were also examined.

Robust midsagittal plane extraction from normal and pathological 3-D neuroradiology images.

This paper focuses on extracting the ideal midsagittal plane (iMSP) from three-dimensional (3-D) normal and pathological neuroimages. The main challenges in this work are the structural asymmetry that may exist in pathological brains, and the anisotropic, unevenly sampled image data that is common in clinical practice. We present an edge-based, cross-correlation approach that decomposes the plane fitting problem into discovery of two-dimensional symmetry axes on each slice, followed by a robust estimation of plane parameters. The algorithm's tolerance to brain asymmetries, input image offsets and image noise is quantitatively evaluated. We find that the algorithm can extract the iMSP from input 3-D images with 1) large asymmetrical lesions; 2) arbitrary initial rotation offsets; 3) low signal-to-noise ratio or high bias field. The iMSP algorithm is compared with an approach based on maximization of mutual information registration, and is found to exhibit superior performance under adverse conditions. Finally, no statistically significant difference is found between the midsagittal plane computed by the iMSP algorithm and that estimated by two trained neuroradiologists.

Osa-containing Brahma chromatin remodeling complexes are required for the repression of wingless target genes.

The Wingless signaling pathway directs many developmental processes in Drosophila by regulating the expression of specific downstream target genes. We report here that the product of the trithorax group gene osa is required to repress such genes in the absence of the Wingless signal. The Wingless-regulated genes nubbin, Distal-less, and decapentaplegic and a minimal enhancer from the Ultrabithorax gene are misexpressed in osa mutants and repressed by ectopic Osa. Osa-mediated repression occurs downstream of the up-regulation of Armadillo but is sensitive both to the relative levels of activating Armadillo/Pangolin and repressing Groucho/Pangolin complexes present and to the responsiveness of the promoter to Wingless. Osa functions as a component of the Brahma chromatin-remodeling complex; other components of this complex are likewise required to repress Wingless target genes. These results suggest that altering the conformation of chromatin is an important mechanism by which Wingless signaling activates gene expression.

Osa associates with the Brahma chromatin remodeling complex and promotes the activation of some target genes.

The yeast SWI/SNF complex and its Drosophila and mammalian homologs are thought to control gene expression by altering chromatin structure, but the mechanism and specificity of this process are not fully understood. The Drosophila osa gene, like yeast SWI1, encodes an AT-rich interaction (ARID) domain protein. We present genetic and biochemical evidence that Osa is a component of the Brahma complex, the Drosophila homolog of SWI/SNF. The ARID domain of Osa binds DNA without sequence specificity in vitro, but it is sufficient to direct transcriptional regulatory domains to specific target genes in vivo. Endogenous Osa appears to promote the activation of some of these genes. We show evidence that some Brahma-containing complexes do not contain Osa and that Osa is not required to localize Brahma to chromatin. These data suggest that Osa modulates the function of the Brahma complex.

Olsalazine is contraindicated during pelvic radiation therapy: results of a double-blind, randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: A randomized clinical trial from Great Britain suggested a possible beneficial effect of acetylsalicylate in the prevention of radiation-induced bowel toxicity. Olsalazine is an orally administered drug designed to deliver 5-aminosalicylate to the large bowel with minimal systemic absorption. A randomized clinical trial was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of olsalazine in preventing acute diarrhea in patients receiving pelvic radiation therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients receiving pelvic radiation therapy were randomized, in double-blind fashion, to olsalazine 250 mg, two capsules twice daily, or an identical appearing placebo, two capsules twice daily. Patients were then evaluated weekly during radiation therapy for the primary study endpoint, diarrhea, as well as rectal bleeding, abdominal cramping, and tenesmus. RESULTS: The study was closed early, after entry of 58 evaluable patients, when a preliminary analysis showed excessive diarrhea in patients randomized to olsalazine. The incidence and severity of diarrhea were worse in patients randomized to olsalazine (p = 0.0036). Sixty percent of the patients randomized to olsalazine experienced Grade 3 or 4 diarrhea compared to only 14% randomized to placebo. There was also a trend toward higher incidence and greater severity of abdominal cramping in patients who were randomized to olsalazine (p = 0.084). CONCLUSION: Administration of olsalazine during pelvic radiation therapy resulted in an increased incidence and severity of diarrhea. Olsalazine is contraindicated in patients receiving pelvic radiation therapy.

Gel diffusion analysis of Anopheles bloodmeals from 12 malarious study villages of Orissa State, India.

In Orissa State, India, the double gel diffusion technique was used to analyze 97,405 bloodmeals of all fed anophelines that were caught during standardized monthly surveys in 12 malarious study villages, from 1982 through 1988. Anopheles culicifacies contributed the highest number of smears from the 19 Anopheles species recovered. It was observed that a pronounced predilection to take mixed bloodmeals attenuates the vector potential of the species concerned. Consequently, prevalences based only upon "pure" (unmixed) primate bloodmeals provide the most accurate way to assess the intensity of feeding contact that actually occurs between a given species and man. By this method, the ranking order is Anopheles fluviatilis, An. culicifacies and An. annularis (N); a sequence which concurs with current knowledge on the vector status of malaria mosquitoes in Orissa.

Effective surgical adjuvant therapy for high-risk rectal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Radiation therapy as an adjunct to surgery for rectal cancer has been shown to reduce local recurrence but has not improved survival. In a previous study, combined radiation and chemotherapy improved survival significantly as compared with surgery alone, but not as compared with adjuvant radiation, which many regard as standard therapy. We designed a combination regimen to optimize the contribution of chemotherapy, decrease recurrence, and improve survival as compared with adjuvant radiation alone. METHODS: Two hundred four patients with rectal carcinoma that was either deeply invasive or metastatic to regional lymph nodes were randomly assigned to postoperative radiation alone (4500 to 5040 cGy) or to radiation plus fluorouracil, which was both preceded and followed by a cycle of systemic therapy with fluorouracil plus semustine (methyl-CCNU). RESULTS: After a median follow-up of more than seven years, the combined therapy had reduced the recurrence of rectal cancer by 34 percent (P = 0.0016; 95 percent confidence interval, 12 to 50 percent). Initial local recurrence was reduced by 46 percent (P = 0.036; 95 percent confidence interval, 2 to 70 percent), and distant metastasis by 37 percent (P = 0.011; 95 percent confidence interval, 9 to 57 percent). In addition, combined therapy reduced the rate of cancer-related deaths by 36 percent (P = 0.0071; 95 percent confidence interval, 14 to 53 percent) and the overall death rate by 29 percent (P = 0.025; 95 percent confidence interval, 7 to 45 percent). Its acute toxic effects included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. These effects were seldom severe. Severe, delayed treatment-related reactions, usually small-bowel obstruction requiring surgery, occurred in 6.7 percent of all patients receiving radiation, and the frequencies of these complications were comparable in both treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of postoperative local therapy with radiation plus fluorouracil and systemic therapy with a fluorouracil-based regimen significantly and substantively improves the results of therapy for rectal carcinoma with a poor prognosis, as compared with postoperative radiation alone.

A collapsible mosquito cage for field use.

The relatively inexpensive collapsible field cage described in this article has proven extremely practical for entomology work in distant locations. Frequent field use and continuous employment in a modest laboratory for more than a decade attests to the strength and durability of the design.

Studies on malaria transmission in Orissa State, India 1981 through 1986. II: Observations on the Anopheles fauna.

A general presentation is made of data derived from systematic trend studies on the Anopheles fauna in 12 study villages of Orissa State, India. Adult and larval species prevalences, seasonal densities of prominent anophelines and predilections of various species to feed on human blood are discussed and demonstrated.

Studies on malaria transmission in Orissa state: Part I. Development of a methodology for systematic studies.

Standardized collections of Anopheles were conducted by three Entomology Field Investigation Units (FIU's) working in three distinctively different areas of Orissa State. The FIU's conducted identical routine weekly work schedules in each of 12 mesoendemic or hyperendemic study villages every month. In addition, monthly house-to-house fever case surveys were conducted in each study village and biannual malariometric surveys were carried out with the timing being shifted, so that eventually all seasons were included. Such complete, extensive and meticulous entomological and epidemiological data have not been obtained earlier from this area. In fact, until the present longitudinal data became available, it was necessary to rely upon information which was gathered some 40 years ago, when environmental conditions were substantially different. The ensuing article describes the methodology that was employed to establish these systematic studies.

Gel diffusion determinations on feeding behaviour patterns of anophelines in Orissa State, India.

In 1981 Entomological Field Research Units were established in three districts of Orissa State, India, from which Anopheles bloodmeals were forwarded regularly for analysis to an Entomological Laboratory in Bhubaneswar. At the onset of 1982, the laboratory introduced a modified gel diffusion technique for determining the origin of mosquito bloodmeals and by the end of 1983, 22,300 smears had been processed and analyzed. The technique is relatively very simple, fast and inexpensive. The results are reproducible and the use of double controls (negative and positive) ensure a high degree of reliability.