PFAS Electroanalysis in Low-Oxygen River Water Using Electrogenerated Dioxygen.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nicknamed "forever chemicals" due to the strength of their carbon-fluorine bonds, are a class of potent micropollutants that cause deleterious health effects in mammals. The current state-of-the-art detection method requires the collection and transport of water samples to a centralized facility where chromatography and mass spectrometry are performed for the separation, identification, and quantification of PFAS. However, for efficient remediation efforts to be properly informed, a more rapid in-field testing method is required. We previously demonstrated the development and use of dioxygen as the mediator molecule. The use of dioxygen is predicated on the assumption that there will be consistent ambient dioxygen levels in natural waters. This is not always the case in hypoxic groundwater and at high altitudes. To overcome this challenge and further advance the strategies that will enable in-field electroanalysis of PFAS, we demonstrate, as a proof of concept, that dioxygen can be generated in solution through the hydrolysis of water. The electrogenerated dioxygen can then be used as a mediator molecule for the indirect detection of PFOS via molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based electroanalysis. We demonstrate that calibration curves can be constructed with high precision and sensitivity (LOD < 1 ppt or 1 ng/L). Our results provide a foundation for enabling in-field hypoxic PFAS electroanalysis.

Narrative warmth and quantitative competence: Message type affects impressions of a speaker.

Persuasion research often focuses on how source characteristics affect attitude change in response to a message; however, message characteristics may also alter perceptions of the source. The Message-Based Impression Formation effect (M-BIF) suggests that perceivers use features of messages to infer characteristics of the source, and that such inferences may have a variety of consequential outcomes. In particular, the choice of narrative versus statistical evidence may have implications for the perceived warmth and competence of a source. In five experiments, narrative arguments led to greater perceptions of source warmth and statistical arguments led to greater perceptions of source competence. Across the two behavioral studies, a matching effect emerged: participants preferred to work on cooperative tasks with partners who had provided narratives, and competitive tasks with partners who had provided statistical evidence. These results suggest that the evidence type chosen for everyday communications may affect person perception and interpersonal interaction.

A case of probable sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia.

The diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can be challenging as findings are non-specific and there is low awareness of the disease. We present a case of an 83-yearold man with a two months history of rapidly progressive dementia. After a series of extensive diagnostic examinations, he was diagnosed with probable sporadic CJD with key findings of rapidly progressive dementia, myoclonus, pyramidal signs, abnormal hyperintensity signals on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and typical electroencephalograph (EEG). His symptoms progressively worsened and he died four months after the onset of symptoms.

Diagnostic strategies for urinary tract infections in French general practice.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe the diagnostic management procedures for detection of urinary tract infections in general practice and their correlated factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from the ECOGEN study on urinary tract infections, collected in France between November 2011 and April 2012. This national cross-sectional study was carried out in general practices. Data was coded according to the International Classification of Primary Care. RESULTS: A total of 340 consultations or home visits were held for urinary tract infections. The five most frequent diagnostic procedures were (in descending order) clinical examination (67.6%), urine cytobacteriological examination (UCBE) (47.9%), urine dipstick test (15.6%), blood test (8.5%), and imaging (6.5%). No urine dipstick test or UCBE was performed in 43% of cases. Factors correlated with diagnostic procedures were age and gender of patients, annual number of consultations held by family physicians, and duration of consultation. CONCLUSION: Family physicians did not comply with guidelines on diagnostic management for detection of urinary tract infections. We hypothesized that this non-compliance could be due to the family physicians' environment and characteristics, and to clinical practice guidelines.

Adjuncts to transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

INTRODUCTION: The appreciable rise in percutaneous valve procedures has been pursued by a wave of development in advanced technology to help guide straightforward, streamlined and safe intervention. This review article aims to highlight the adjunctive devices, tools and techniques currently used in transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures to avoid potential pitfalls. Areas covered: The software and devices featured here are at the forefront of technological advances, most of which are not yet in widespread use. These products have been discussed in national and international structural intervention conferences and the authors felt it important to showcase particularly well designed adjuncts that improve procedural efficacy and safety. Whilst vascular pre-closure systems are used routinely and are an integral part of these complex cardiovascular procedures, these have been well summarised elsewhere and are beyond the scope of this article. Expert commentary: The rising volume of patients with aortic stenosis who are treatable with TAVI means that this exponential increase in procedures must be accompanied by a steady decline in procedural complications. This section provides an overview of our current perspective, and what we feel the direction of travel will be.

Epitaxial Retrieval of a Disappearing Polymorph.

Recrystallization of [PdCl2([9]aneS2O)] ([9]aneS2O = 1-oxa-4,7-dithiacyclononane), 1, and [PtCl2([9]aneS2O)], 2, by diffusion of Et2O vapor into solutions of the complexes in MeNO2 yielded three phases of 1 and two phases of 2. The known phase of 1, herein designated α-1, was obtained under ambient conditions. A second phase, designated ß-1, was initially also obtained by this method; however, following the advent of a third phase, γ-1, all subsequent efforts over a period of a year to crystallize ß-1 yielded either γ-1, obtained by carrying out the recrystallization at elevated temperature, or α-1, commonly found throughout the study. This persistent absence of a phase which could initially be crystallized with ease led us to the conclusion that ß-1 was an example of a "disappearing polymorph". The first phase obtained of 2, designated α-2, was obtained by recrystallization under ambient conditions and is isomorphous and isostructural with α-1. The second phase ß-2 was obtained by slight elevation of the recrystallization temperature and was found to be isomorphous and isostructural with ß-1. Subsequently, ß-2 was used to seed the growth of the disappearing polymorph ß-1. No third phase of 2 (γ-2) has been isolated thus far.

[Seasonal influenza vaccination coverage of general practitioners and their patients. Practice survey of French general practitioners after vaccination campaign 2011-2012]. / Couverture par le vaccin de la grippe saisonnière des médecins généralistes et de leurs patients. Enquête de pratique auprès de médecins généralistes français après la campagne de vaccination 2011-2012.

BACKGROUND: In France, vaccination coverage against seasonal influenza for risk groups was inadequate: 55.2% of people aged 65 and older, and 33% of the 16-64 year group with chronic targeted disorders were vaccinated in March 2012. Three quarters of general practitioners were vaccinated. Our objective was to estimate the influence of the vaccination status of general practitioners on vaccine coverage of their patients at risk. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent in March 2012 to a sample of 500 general practitioners. Their professional characteristics, vaccination status against seasonal influenza and the determinants of these vaccinations were collected and compared to the vaccine coverage of their patients obtained from the French healthcare fund. RESULTS: Self-reported vaccination coverage of the 225 general practitioners respondents was 81.3%. There was a positive correlation with age greater than 50 years, high activity level, rural practice and the absence of particular mode of exercise. The doctors wanted to be vaccinated to protect themselves and protect their patients or their family. Of the 42 doctors unvaccinated, 42.5% feared the side effects of the vaccine, 40% considered influenza to be a benign illness and 32.5% considered low risk of catching or spreading it. The vaccination rate for patients aged 65 and older was 62.3% among 147 doctors vaccinated versus 58.3% in unvaccinated 31 physicians (P<0.0001). These rates were 39% versus 36.7% (P=0.29) for patients with chronic targeted disorders. CONCLUSION: This study shows a positive association between the reported vaccination of general practitioners and effective influenza vaccination of their patients aged 65 years and older. This result is less clear for patients with chronic targeted disorders. All this findings argue in favor of promoting seasonal influenza vaccination among general practitioners.

Solution voltammetry of 4 nm magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles.

The voltammetry of solution-dispersed magnetite iron oxide Fe3O4 nanoparticles is described. Their currents are controlled by nanoparticle transport rates, as shown with potential step chronoamperometry and rotated disk voltammetry. In pH 2 citrate buffer with added NaClO4 electrolyte, solution cyclic voltammetry of these nanoparticles (average diameter 4.4 ± 0.9 nm, each containing ca. 30 Fe sites) displays an electrochemically irreversible oxidation with E(PEAK) at ca. +0.52 V and an irreversible reduction with E(PEAK) at ca. +0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl reference electrode. These processes are presumed to correspond to the formal potentials for one-electron oxidation of Fe(II) and reduction of Fe(III) at their different sites in the magnetite nanoparticle structure. The heterogeneous electrode reaction rates of the nanoparticles are very slow, in the 10(-5) cm/s range. The nanoparticles are additionally characterized by a variety of tools, e.g., TEM, UV/vis, and XPS spectroscopies.

G2677T polymorphism can predict treatment outcome of Malaysians with complex partial seizures being treated with Carbamazepine.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is used as the first line of treatment of complex partial seizures (CPS) in Malaysia. While this drug is known to be effective for the treatment of CPS, more than 30% of patients remain drug resistant to CBZ mono-therapy. We examined a possible relationship between patients' response to CBZ mono-therapy and the G2677T SNP of the ABCB1 gene. Three hundred and fourteen patients with CPS were recruited from the Neurology Department of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, of whom 152 were responders and the other 162 were non-responders to CBZ mono-therapy. DNA was extracted from blood samples and real-time PCR was performed to detect the G2677T SNP of the ABCB1 gene. Results were described as genotype frequencies and compared by logistic regression analysis. Among the 152 responders, 74% had the GG genotype. However, among the 162 non-responders, 26.5% had the GT genotype and 39% had the TT genotype. There was a significant difference in genotype frequency (TT vs GG; odds ratio 4.70; 95% confidence interval, 2.70-8.20) between responders and non-responders. The presence of the T allele of the G2677T SNP appears to be a useful screening marker to determine if a patient is going to be resistant to CBZ as a single drug therapy in the treatment of CPS.

Age-moderated effects of consequence and intent information on punishment: an intuitive prosecutorial interpretation.

In responding to wrongdoings, people simultaneously pursue the goals of social control and fairness to the wrongdoer. Social control necessitates stronger weighting of consequences than causes; fairness entails the opposite. The authors hypothesized that the developmental shift from overweighting consequence to overweighting intent when determining levels of punishment illustrates a shift from a default defender of the normative order to a motivated crusader of fairness to the wrongdoer. Thus, punishment should increase slightly for intentional wrongdoings but decrease substantially for accidental wrongdoings as people age. In an experiment on disciplinary action in Singapore, 9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds learned about the consequences of and intentions behind wrongdoings by peers and predicted consistency of the same act in the future, assigned blame to the wrongdoers, and recommended punishment for them. Results supported hypotheses derived from a fair-but-biased-yet-correctible model of intuitive prosecutors.

Synthesis and electrochemistry of 6 nm ferrocenated indium-tin oxide nanoparticles.

Indium-tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles, 6.1 ± 0.8 nm in diameter, were synthesized using a hot injection method. After reaction with 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane to replace the initial oleylamine and oleic acid capping ligands, the aminated nanoparticles were rendered electroactive by functionalization with ferrocenoyl chloride. The nanoparticle color changed from blue-green to light brown, and the nanoparticles became more soluble in polar solvents, notably acetonitrile. The nanoparticle diffusion coefficient (D = 1.0 × 10(-6) cm(2)/s) and effective ferrocene concentration (C = 0.60 mM) in acetonitrile solutions were determined using ratios of DC and D(1/2)C data measured by microdisk voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The D result compares favorably to an Einstein-Stokes estimate (2.1 × 10(-6) cm(2)/s), assuming an 8 nm hydrodynamic diameter in acetonitrile (6 nm for the ITO core plus 2 nm for the ligand shell). The ferrocene concentration result is lower than anticipated (ca. 1.60 mM) based on a potentiometric titration of the ferrocene sites with Cu(II) in acetonitrile. Cyclic voltammetric data indicate tendency of the ferrocenated nanoparticles to adsorb on the Pt working electrode.

Aberrant striatal dopamine transmitter dynamics in brain-derived neurotrophic factor-deficient mice.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates the synaptic transmission of several monoaminergic neuronal systems, including forebrain dopamine-containing neurons. Recent evidence shows a strong correlation between neuropsychiatric disorders and BDNF hypofunction. The aim of the present study was to characterize the effect of low endogenous levels of BDNF on dopamine system function in the caudate-putamen using heterozygous BDNF (BDNF(+/-) ) mice. Apparent extracellular dopamine levels in the caudate-putamen, determined by quantitative microdialysis, were significantly elevated in BDNF(+/-) mice compared with wildtype controls (12 vs. 5 nM, respectively). BDNF(+/-) mice also had a potentiated increase in dopamine levels following potassium (120 mM)-stimulation (10-fold) relative to wildtype controls (6-fold). Slice fast-scan cyclic voltammetry revealed that BDNF(+/-) mice had reductions in both electrically evoked dopamine release and dopamine uptake rates in the caudate-putamen. Superfusion of BDNF led to partial recovery of the electrically stimulated dopamine release response in BDNF(+/-) mice. Conversely, tissue accumulation of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, extracellular levels of dopamine metabolites, and spontaneous locomotor activity were unaltered. Together, this study indicates that endogenous BDNF influences dopamine system homeostasis by regulating the release and uptake dynamics of pre-synaptic dopamine transmission.

Radiofrequency ablation of cardiac arrhythmias: past, present and future.

The treatment of cardiac arrhythmias has been revolutionized by the ability to definitively treat many patients with radiofrequency catheter ablation, rather than requiring lifelong medication. This review covers the history of how this has developed and the methods used currently and explores what the future holds for this rapidly evolving branch of Cardiology.

The predictors of subclinical cerebral infarcts in ischaemic stroke patients.

Subclinical cerebral infarcts (SCI) have been increasingly shown to cause a significant clinical impact. However, there are limited data available on Asian patients. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of SCI in ischaemic stroke patients seen in the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) and to identify its associated risk factors. We evaluated the brain computed tomography (CT) evidence of subclinical infarcts in ischaemic stroke patients. The patients were selected from those who were on regular follow up in the neurology clinic following an ischaemic stroke. The risk factors associated with subclinical infarct were documented. The brain CTs were done during acute admission and reviewed for SCI. Sixty-one patients were enrolled in this study. Twenty-two (36.1%) out of the 61 patients had SCI. The risk factors for SCI in our study were hypertension (OR 14.16 CI 2.04-97.89), diabetes mellitus (OR 12.48; CI 1.95-79.77) and leukoaraiosis (OR 28.39; CI 2.33-284.16). Subclinical cerebral infarcts were present in about one third of our ischaemic stroke patients. This finding is higher than in previous studies done on Caucasians. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus and leukoaraiosis independently predict SCI.

Reward encoding in the monkey anterior cingulate cortex.

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is known to play a crucial role in the fast adaptations of behavior based on immediate reward values. What is less certain is whether the ACC is also involved in long-term adaptations to situations with uncertain outcomes. To study this issue, we placed macaque monkeys in a probabilistic context in which the appropriate strategy to maximize reward was to identify the stimulus with the highest reward value (optimal stimulus). Only knowledge of the theoretical average reward value associated with this stimulus--referred to as 'the task value'--was available. Remarkably, in each trial, ACC pre-reward activity correlated with the task value. Importantly, this neuronal activity was observed prior to the discovery of the optimal stimulus. We hypothesize that the received rewards and the task value, constructed a priori through learning, are used to guide behavior and identify the optimal stimulus. We tested this hypothesis by muscimol deactivation of the ACC. As predicted, this inactivation impaired the search for the optimal stimulus. We propose that ACC participates in long-term adaptation of voluntary reward-based behaviors by encoding general task values and received rewards.

Characterization of serial order encoding in the monkey anterior cingulate sulcus.

In a previous report we showed that neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex might encode the serial order of the three components (first, second and third) of motor sequences, irrespective of which component is performed, and irrespective of the component that precedes or follows. Here we further explore these data by comparing the magnitude of cell activity at the different ranks. We also compare the activity recorded in the motor sequences and in tasks with only one motor component. We finally discuss functional hypotheses, which may account for the serial order encoding.

The effects of sequence structure and reward schedule on serial reaction time learning in the monkey.

This research tests the hypothesis that sequence learning performance in non-human primates will be modulated both by the structure of the sequences to be learned and by the schedule of reward applied during learning. Sequence learning in humans has been extensively explored with serial reaction time (SRT) protocols where learning is revealed by reduced reaction times for stimuli presented in repeating sequences vs. stimuli presented in random series. The SRT protocol has been used to demonstrate that different types of sequential structure may be learned under different awareness conditions. Here, we consider surface and abstract structure of sensorimotor sequences such that sequences ABCBAC and DEFEDF (where A to F correspond to spatial locations on a touch sensitive screen) have different serial order or surface structure, but share the same abstract structure 123213, and are thus considered isomorphic. In four experiments, we manipulated the type of sequential structure to be learned, and the schedule of reward in spatial sequence learning tasks. Both of the two monkeys tested demonstrated significant SRT learning for serial order or surface structure, while they failed to learn and transfer abstract structure. Their learning performance was also modulated by the schedule of reward. These results are in support of our hypothesis and are discussed in the context of existing models of sensorimotor sequence learning.

Anterior cingulate activity during routine and non-routine sequential behaviors in macaques.

Anterior cingulate cortex is important in monitoring action for new challenges. We recorded neuron activity in the anterior cingulate sulcus of macaques while they performed a sequential problem-solving task. By trial and error, animals determined the correct sequence for touching three fixed spatial targets. After the sequence was repeated three times, we then changed the correct solution order, requiring a new search. Irrespective of component movements or their kinematics, task-related neurons encoded the serial order of the sequence. Neurons activated with sequence components (68%) differed in activity between search and repetition. Search-related activity occurred when behavioral flexibility was required and ended as soon as the animal accumulated enough information to infer the solution, but had not yet tested it. Repetition-related activity occurred in a regime of memory-based motor performance in which attention to action is less necessary.