Silica aerogel is a new porous functional material composed of SiO2 particles. In this paper, silica aerogel was prepared by acid-base two-step sol-gel method without solvent replacement and surface modification using water/ethanol/n-hexane surfactant-free microemulsion(SFME) as solvent. The samples were characterized and analyzed by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, BET, TG-DSC, thermal conductivity, and hydrophobic angle. The results showed that when the molar ratio of TEOS, MTES, H2O, EtOH, n-hexane, octyltriethoxysilane, and DEDMS was 0.25: 0.75: 12: 10: 0.1: 0.07: 0.08, the density of silica aerogel in the SFME system was 0.157 g/cm3, the porosity was 93%, the average pore diameter of BJH was 3.92 nm, the average particle size was 15.78 nm, the hydrophobic angle was 152.5°, and the thermal conductivity was 0.0522 W/(m·K). It can maintain good hydrophobicity below 240.5 ℃. Hydrophobicity completely disappears when the temperature exceeds 510 °C.

Several systematic reviews have been published on tacrolimus (TAC) population pharmacokinetic (PPK) modeling; however, most of them have focused on the transplant patient population. This study investigated TAC population pharmacokinetic characteristics in non-transplant patients through a systematic review of TAC population pharmacokinetic studies carried out in this patient population, with the aim of clarifying factors affecting TAC pharmacokinetic behavior and promoting individualized TAC-based treatment in non-transplant patients. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases, as well as Chinese databases (SinoMed, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and related references, were searched using a non-linear mixed-effects modeling approach, from the time of inception of the databases to July 2022, to identify TAC population pharmacokinetic studies modeled in non-transplant patients. Eighteen studies, all from Asian countries (China and Korea), were included in this study. Of these studies, 56% and 28% were carried out in pediatric and adult patients, respectively. Over half of the studies (56%) were conducted in patients with nephrotic syndrome. Combined medications, body weight, genetic polymorphisms, and physiological function were the most common covariates affecting TAC clearance, and variability in the apparent volume of distribution was largely explained by body weight. In addition, only 2 studies assessed the developed models through external evaluation. In non-transplanted patients, factors that affect TAC pharmacokinetics include combined medications, body weight, genetic polymorphisms, and physiological function. Recent investigations have focused mainly on Asian populations, and expanded trials that will use external evaluations for relevant model assessment are required to investigate generalizability to other ethnic populations.

Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains a curative option for patients with high-risk myeloid malignancies. Procedure: We present our ten-year experience (October 2012-October 2021) of consecutive allo-HCT in patients with myeloid malignancies treated on the pediatric HCT service and conditioned with myeloablative targeted dose-busulfan (BU), fludarabine (FLU) and melphalan (MEL). Twenty-three children, adolescents, and young adult patients (CAYA) (median age 15.4yr) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML, n=17), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, n=4), or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML, n=2) underwent allo-HCT post-BU-FLU-MEL. Four patients had treatment-related AML/MDS. Donor/stem cell source was MSD PBSC (n=7), MUD PBSC (n=2), UCB (n=3) or haploidentical-BMT (n=11). Risk stratification was low (n=2), intermediate (n=15), high (=3) and very high risk (n=1). The two patients with CML had failed tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapies. Results: With a median follow-up of 39.6 months the relapse rate is only 4.5% with an OS 100%, PFS 95.5% and graft-versus-host-free-relapse-free survival (GRFS) 67.8%. The donor source and the GvHD prophylaxis regimen significantly impacted grades II-IV aGvHD 66.7% versus 19.2% ( P=0.039) and cGvHD 66.7% versus 0% ( P=0.002) in the patients receiving matched sibling (MSD) or matched unrelated donor (MUD) PBSC compared to haplo-BMT respectively, resulting in improved GRFS in haplo-BMT, 83.3% compared to 40% matched donor PBSCT ( P=0.025). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that BU-FLU-MEL is efficacious conditioning for disease control in young patients with myeloid malignancies undergoing MSD or alternative donor allo-HCT but in the setting of PBSC grafts with CSA-MTX GvHD prophylaxis it results in an unacceptably high incidence of GvHD.

Childhood and adolescent/young adult (AYA) cancer survivors experience poor health outcomes in adulthood. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) also portend poor health outcomes for the general population. Resilience can mitigate effects of ACEs. We examined the feasibility of assessing ACEs and resilience in childhood/AYA cancer patients. We also described occurrences of ACEs, resilience, and poor health outcomes. Of 52 participants, most rated their study experience favorably, with privacy in answering sensitive questions. Half reported ACEs, and those with ACEs had lower resilience, X2(3,N=52)=9.39, p=0.02. Further investigations of ACEs and resilience in larger cohorts are warranted to delineate associations with long-term health outcomes.

Background: Pediatric CNS tumors are the leading cause of pediatric cancer mortality. Research addressing genomic biomarkers and clinical outcomes is needed to inform therapeutic decision making. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pediatric patients (age <21) diagnosed with a primary CNS tumor at four upstate New York hospitals from 2008 to 2021. Clinical and histopathologic data were identified from each patient, including genomic analysis of somatic mutations and tumor mutation burden (TMB) where available. These variables were each compared with overall survival using cox-regression analyses. Multivariable analysis was conducted to identify patient characteristics that may independently predict survival. Results: We identified 119 patients. Common tumor types included low-grade glioma (N=51), high-grade glioma (N=29), and medulloblastoma (N=11). Common driver-mutations included TP53 inactivation (N=16), BRAF-KIAA1549 fusion (N=16), FGFR1 amplification (N=12), BRAF V600E mutation (N=12), NF1 loss (N=12), and H3F3A K28M mutation (N=6). Median TMB was 1 mutation/megabase (mut/Mb, range=0-132). Overall survival was 79.9%. Variables associated with poorer survival on univariable analysis were higher TMB (p=0.002, HR 4.97), high grade tumors (p=0.009, HR 84.3), and high-grade glioma histology (p=0.021, HR 3.14). Multivariable analyses further identified TMB (p=0.011, HR 4.46) and high-grade histology (p=0.015, HR 5.28) as independently predictive of worse survival. Tumor progression was more common in high TMB (N=15, 44%) than in low TMB tumors (N=19, 35%). Conclusions: High TMB is correlated with higher rates of progression and death as compared to low TMB tumors. These findings may help identify patients who may benefit from alternative treatments, such as immunotherapies.

Objective To assess whether prostaglandin among multiparous women have an increased risk of uterine rupture compared to primiparous and women with one previous delivery. Design Retrospective observational population-based cohort study. Setting All maternity wards in Sweden Population Women that have undergone induction with prostaglandin between May 1996 and December 2019, (n=59,019). Methods The study cohort was obtained by using data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, which contains information from maternity and delivery records. Results are presented as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Main Outcome Measures Uterine rupture Results Multiparous women without a previous caesarean section giving birth after induction with prostaglandins had an increased absolute risk (0.11%) of uterine rupture compared to primiparous (0.03%) (crude OR 3.57; 95% Cl 1.49-8.59, p-value 0.004). Multiparous women without a previous caesarean section had a lower absolute risk (0.04%) of uterine rupture compared to women with a previous caesarean section (1.62%). Multiparous women with one previous caesarean section, had a decreased risk (0.83%) of uterine rupture compared to women with one previous delivery with caesarean section (2.02%) (crude OR 0.4; 95% Cl 0.21-0.78, p-value 0.006). Conclusion Our study implies that multiparity is a risk factor for uterine rupture when induced with prostaglandin in women with no previous caesarean section and this should be taken into account when deciding on the appropriate method of induction.

DNA barcoding has been used worldwide to identify biological specimens and to delimit species. It represents a cost-effective, fast and efficient way to assess biodiversity with help of the public Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) accounting for more than 236,000 animal species and more than ten million barcode sequences. Here, we performed a meta-analysis of available barcode data of central European Coleoptera to detect intraspecific genetic patterns among ecological groups in relation to geographic distance with the aim to investigate a possible link between infraspecific variation and species ecology. We collected information regarding feeding style, body size as well as habitat and biotope preferences. Mantel tests and two variants of Procrustes analysis, both involving the Principal Coordinates Neighborhood Matrices (PCNM) approach, were applied on genetic and geographic distance matrices. However, significance levels were too low to further use the outcome for further trait investigation: these were in mean for all ecological guilds only 7.5, 9.4, or 15.6 % for PCNM+PCA, NMDS+PCA, and Mantel test, respectively, or at best 28% for a single guild. Our study confirmed that certain ecological traits were associated with higher species diversity and foster stronger genetic differentiation. Results suggest that increased numbers of species, sampling localities, and specimens for a chosen area of interest may give new insights to explore barcode data and species ecology for the scope of conservation on a larger scale.

Sexual imprinting is widespread in birds and other species but its existence requires explanation. Here we show that sexual imprinting leads to speciation in locally-adapted populations if a neutral mating cue – e.g., novel plumage coloration – arises through mutation. Local adaptations occur when evolution results in stable genetic polymorphisms with one allele predominating in some areas while others predominate elsewhere. Here we use a deterministic two-niche population genetic model to map the set of migration and selection rates for which polymorphic evolutionary outcomes, i.e., local adaptations, can occur. Equations for the boundaries of the set of polymorphic evolutionary outcomes were derived by (Bulmer, 1972), but our results, obtained by deterministic simulation of the evolutionary process, show that one of Bulmer’s equations is inaccurate except when the level of dominance is 0.5, and fails if one of the alleles is dominant. Having an accurate map of the set of migration and selection rates for which polymorphic evolutionary outcomes can occur, we then show using the model of (Sibly et al., 2019) that local adaptation in all cases leads to speciation if a new neutral mating cue arises by mutation. We finish by considering how genome sequencing makes possible testing of our results.

Background Surgical treatment for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) may affect future fertility and pregnancy outcomes, therefore alternative therapies are desirable. Objectives To determine the efficacy of topical imiquimod in treatment of high-grade CIN (defined as regression CIN 1 or less), and to determine the clearance rate of high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV), compared to surgical treatment and placebo. Search strategy Cohort studies and trials up to July 2022 were searched with the terms imiquimod, cervical dysplasia, and HPV. Selection criteria Studies evaluating the efficacy of imiquimod in CIN lesions. Data collection and analysis The study followed the PRISMA checklist. Meta-analysis was conducted to determine the efficacy of imiquimod treatment. Main results Five studies involving 463 women with high-grade CIN were included. Imiquimod was associated with histological regression to CIN1 or less in 55% of cases versus 29% for placebo, and 93% for surgical treatment. Imiquimod-treated women had a greater odds ratio of histological regression to CIN1 or less than placebo-treated women (ORs 4.17, 95% CI 2.03-8.54). In comparison to imiquimod, surgical treatment had an odds ratio of 14.81 (95% CI 6.59-33.27) for histological regression to CIN1 or less. The hr-HPV clearance rate was 53.4% after imiquimod treatment and 66% after surgical treatment (ORs 1.53, 95% CI 0.62-23.77). Conclusions: Histological regression is higher in imiquimod treatment than placebo. Surgical treatment, which is currently the golden standard, shows a higher regression rate than imiquimod. Future studies should focus on patient selection and further development of alternative treatments.

Background Intra-host diversity studies are used to characterise mutational heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2 infections to understand the impact of virus-host adaptations. This study investigated the frequency and diversity of the spike (S) protein mutations within SARS-CoV-2 infected South African individuals. Methods Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays and whole genome sequencing were performed on SARS-CoV-2 positive samples. Allele frequency (AF) was determined using TaqMan Genotyper software for SNP analysis and galaxy.eu for analysis of FASTQ reads. Results The SNP assays identified 5.3% (50/948) Delta cases with heterogeneity at delY144 (4%; 2/50), E484Q (6%; 3/50), N501Y (2%; 1/50) and P681H (88%; 44/50). Sequencing identified 9% (210/2381) cases with Beta, Delta, Omicron BA.1, BA.2.15, and BA.4 lineages with heterogeneity in the S protein. Heterogeneity was primarily identified at positions 19 (1.4%) with T19IR (AF 0.2-0.7), 371 (92.3%) with S371FP (AF 0.1-1.0), and 484 (1.9%) with E484AK (0.2-0.7), E484AQ (AF 0.4-0.5) and E484KQ (AF 0.1-0.4). Conclusion Mutations at heterozygous amino acid positions 19, 371 and 484 reduce recognition of neutralising antibodies, however the impact of the multiple substitutions at the same position is unknown. Therefore, we hypothesise that intra-host SARS-CoV-2 quasispecies with heterogeneity in the S protein facilitate competitive advantage of variants that can completely/partially evade host’s natural and vaccine-induced immune responses.

In this study, a higher-order new approach numerical method for solving singularly perturbed parabolic reaction-diffusion problems has presented. To discretize time variable, we used the Crank-Nicolson method on uniform mesh and space variable, we used hybrid numerical method comprising a cubic spline tension method in the inner regions and a central difference method in the outer region on Shishkin mesh. The proposed method is proved to be uniformly convergent irrespective of the perturbation parameter. Three numerical examples are computed to validate the theoretical findings.

AbstractBiodegradable materials decompose and return to nature. This functionality can be applied to derive robotic systems that are environmentally friendly. This study presents a fully biodegradable soft actuator, which is one of the key elements in “green” soft robotics. The working of the actuator is based on an electrohydraulic principle, which is similar to that of hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators. The actuator developed in this study consists of a dielectric film made of polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT), with soybean oil as the dielectric liquid and electrodes made from a mixture of gelatin, glycerol, and sodium chloride (NaCl). The synthesized biodegradable electrode material exhibits a Young’s modulus of 0.06 MPa and resistivity of 258 Ω·m when the mass fraction of NaCl relative to the amount of gelatin and glycerol is 10 wt%. The softness and conductivity of the electrode material results in actuation strain values of 3.4% (at 1 kV, corresponding to 1.2 kV/mm) and 18.6% (at 10 kV corresponding to 9.6 kV/mm) for the linear-type and circular-type actuator, respectively. These values obtained for the biodegradable electrohydraulic soft actuators are comparable to those of non-biodegradable actuators of the same type, representing the successful implementation of the concept.1. IntroductionSoft robotics has a high potential owing to the high compliance from which a wide variety of functional robots and applications can be derived.[1–8] Synthetic polymers such as silicone rubbers are the most widespread materials used in soft robotics. They are low cost,[9] easy to handle,[10] and compatible with various fabrication methods, such as casting, molding, and printing.[11] Synthetic polymers are also chemically stable, making them suitable for soft robots operated in diverse situations and environments, such as on the ground,[12] underwater,[13]in snowstorms,[14] and even in radiation environments.[15] On the contrary, their stable nature and irreversible synthetic process like thermoset[16,17] make them non-biodegradable, which may lead to environmental destruction; this can particularly occur when the robots performing tasks in natural fields are discarded as the result of malfunctions or accidents. In addition, polymeric materials used in soft robotics are mostly difficult to recycle and have a high environmental impact. Considering these perspectives, it is important to incorporate biodegradability into soft robots.Researchers have demonstrated biodegradable soft robotic elements that are focused on actuators. Their working principle includes pneumatic actuation,[18–24]piezoelectricity,[25] ion migration,[26–30] and swelling.[31,32] Pneumatic actuators are relatively easy to fabricate and can provide large outputs; however, their performance is dependent on bulky external pumps and compressors, which can lead to difficulty in constructing robots according to their types and specifications. From a system perspective, actuators based on piezoelectricity and ion migration have been driven electrically using a portable power source. However, actuation strain generated by piezoelectricity tends to be small (4%[33]) and the actuation speed achieved with ion migration is normally low (2.3%/s[34]), thus limiting the actuation performance. Similarly, actuation based on swelling has a limitation on speed (over 6 h required for achieving a fully swelled state[31]) and controllability of actuated deformation because its working principle requires material injection[31] and cannot perform multiple actuations[32].In recent years, electrohydraulic soft actuators, also known as hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) actuators, are emerging.[35]This type of actuators consists of a pair of opposing electrodes covering a portion of the surface of a flexible pouch encapsulating a dielectric liquid. When a high voltage is applied, electrostatic forces between the electrodes squeeze the pouch, causing the local position of the liquid to change, resulting in a hydraulic deformation of the entire structure as actuation. Electrohydraulic soft actuators exhibit large actuation strain (107% linear strain[36]) and force (actuation stress of ~114 kPa[36]), high power density (358 W/kg[36]), and high speed (strain rate of 900%/s[37]). Their structure is simple, allowing to tailor them in various shapes.In this paper, we present a biodegradable soft actuator based on the electrohydraulic principle. This type of actuation principle requires compliant and conductive electrodes. First, we investigated the mechanical and electrical properties of the electrode for different compositions. Then, we fabricated and characterized two types of actuators that have linear and circular shapes to study the effect of incorporating biodegradable materials into the existing actuation principle and to validate our hypothesis.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of iatrogenic menopause on the physiology of the vagina of the ewe, and to evaluate if vaginal changes in ewes can be translated to women with the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Design: Animal study, randomised design for ovariectomy or control, blinded for allocation and outcome assessment. Setting: University of Cape Town, South Africa. Population or Sample: Twenty-five Dohne Merino ewes. Methods: Iatrogenic menopause was induced in 20 animals by bilateral ovariectomy. Five animals served as a control group (no intervention). Differences between groups were determined by linear regression analyses (adjusted for baseline scores) at 5 months after ovariectomy. Main Outcome Measures: Vaginal epithelial thickness, pH, vaginal maturation value, vaginal maturation index, epithelial glycogen accumulation, content of elastin fibres, collagen, and vascularity. Results: Ovariectomised ewes showed epithelial thinning of the vaginal wall from 146 µm to 47 µm (mean, p <0.001 ). In addition, epithelial glycogen accumulation (43%) and the vascularity (23%) of the vaginal wall significantly decreased as compared to the control group. No differences were found for vaginal pH, vaginal cytology outcomes, elastin fibres and collagen content. Conclusions: This study established the ewe as a suitable large animal model for GSM. Furthermore, the similar relevant outcomes in humans and ewes hold great value for future translational research for the evaluation and optimisation of different treatment modalities for GSM. Funding: None. Keywords: Atrophy, ewe, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, model, ovariectomy.

Objective Assess whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination impacts menstrual bleeding quantity. Design Retrospective cohort Setting Five global regions Populations Vaccinated and unvaccinated regularly cycling individuals using the digital fertility-awareness application “Natural Cycles”. Methods We used prospectively collected menstrual cycle data and multivariable longitudinal Poisson GEE models, multivariable multinomial logistic regression models, and calculated the adjusted difference between vaccination groups. All regression models were adjusted for confounders. Outcome measures Mean number of heavy bleeding days (fewer, no change, more) and changes in bleeding quantity (less, no change, more) at three time points (first dose, second dose, and post-exposure menses). Results We included 9,555 individuals (7,401 vaccinated, 2,154 unvaccinated). About 2/3 of individuals reported no change in the number of heavy bleeding days regardless of vaccination status. After adjusting for confounders, there were no significant differences in the number of heavy bleeding days by vaccination status. A larger proportion of vaccinated individuals experienced an increase in total bleeding quantity (34.5% unvaccinated, 38.4% vaccinated; 4.0% [0.7, 7.2%] adjusted difference). This translates to an estimated 40 additional people per 1,000 normally cycling individuals who experience more total bleeding quantity following the first vaccine dose due to vaccination. Differences resolved in the cycle post-exposure. Conclusion A small increase in the probability of more total bleeding quantity occurs following the first COVID-19 vaccine dose which resolved the cycle post-vaccination cycle. Total number of heavy bleeding days did not differ by vaccination status. Our findings can reassure the public that any changes are small and transie

Objectives: To estimate the association between estimated fetal weight (EFW) percentiles on the INTERGROWTH-21st and WHO fetal growth charts and kindergarten-age childhood development, and identify the charts’ percentile cut-offs that best predict kindergarten-age developmental challenges. Design: Retrospective cohort linkage study. Setting: Obstetrical ultrasound department of BC Women’s Hospital, Vancouver, Canada. Population or Sample: Non-anomalous, singleton fetuses scanned ≥ 28 weeks’ gestation, 2000-2011 (n=3418). Methods: We classified EFWs into percentiles using the INTERGROWTH-21st and WHO charts. We used generalized additive modelling to link EFW percentile with routine province-wide kindergarten readiness test results. We calculated the AUC, as well as other measures of diagnostic accuracy with 95% confidence intervals (CI) at select percentile cut-points of the charts. Main Outcome Measures: Total Early Development Instrument (EDI) score (/50). Secondary outcomes: EDI sub-domain scores for language and cognitive development, and for communication skills and general knowledge; designation of ‘developmentally vulnerable’ or ‘special needs’. Results: Fetuses with lower EFW percentiles had systematically lower EDI scores and increased risks of developmental vulnerability. However, the clinical significance of differences was modest in magnitude: e.g., total EDI score -2.8 [95% CI: -5.1, -0.5] in children with an EFW 3-9th percentile of INTERGROWTH chart (vs. reference of 31-90th). The charts’ predictive abilities for adverse child development were limited (e.g., AUC<0.53 for both charts). Conclusions: Lower EFW percentiles on the INTERGROWTH-21st and WHO charts indicate increased risks of adverse kindergarten-age child development at the population level, but are not accurate individual-level predictors of adverse child development.

Background Patients presenting with advanced ovarian cancer can be managed in a variety of ways. No clear selection algorithms exist to guide decision-making and there is significant geographical variation in practice. Decision-making takes place in specialist multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTs). We wanted to examine whether format and behaviour within these meetings could explain the geographical variation in treatment patterns seen in England Methods Observational study of five cancer centre MDTs over a six-week period. Data were recorded for overall MDT performance. The GO-MDT-MODe tool was used to provide a measure of participation and quality of case discussion for all cases of advanced ovarian cancer. MDT scores were correlated with surgical and survival data extracted from national audit data. Results A total of 870 case discussions, including 145 cases of advanced ovarian cancer, were observed. MDTs varied in structure, format and time allocation between centres. Cluster analysis showed significant variation in quality and participation of discussion between centres (p<0.0025) and this correlated with the proportion of patients in the wider cancer alliance undergoing surgery, but not with overall survival Conclusions We have shown that at least part of the variation in practice seen in the UK correlates with different behaviours within MDTs. Increasing time for discussion and encouraging participation from all staff groups may increase proportions of patients undergoing optimal treatment regimens.

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A new protocol developed by this research for higher removal, efficiency of oil and grease and chemical oxygen demand (COD) tannery soak wastewater. After the treatment, the recycled water used for various purposes such as floor cleaning, planting, irrigation purpose. The present work investigated the feasibility of photo oxidation process for removal of oil and COD in Indian tannery soak wastewater via mathematical modelling and statistical approach. The influence of process variables such as nano-catalyst dose and reaction time was analysed on removal of oil /grease and COD. The obtained results are discussed using response surface methodology (RSM) design in detail. Zinc oxide nanoparticles prepared from Eclipta Prostrata plant leaves and characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).

FOX-7 is a typical high-energy and low-sensitivity material. Due to the unique “push-pull” nitroenamine structure, abundant derivatives with good performance can be synthesized. DFT method is used to study the synthesis mechanism for two FOX-7 amino-substituted derivatives. The synthesis mechanism of amino-substituted derivative MTNzA is cyclization followed by isomerization, which is different from the pathway of isomerization followed by cyclization proposed by previous authors. Carbohydrazide is tend reacted with two FOX-7 to produce BADCh, rather than ring formation with one FOX-7.

Title PageTitle: Letter to the Editor: Acute Aortic Dissection Type A; Impact Of Aortic Specialists on Short and Long TermArticle Type: Letter to the Editor

Geobacter species have great application potential in remediation processes and electrobiotechnology. In all applications, understanding the metabolism will enable target-oriented optimization of the processes. The typical electron donor and carbon source of the Geobacter species is acetate, while fumarate is the usual electron acceptor. Here, we could show that depending on the donor/acceptor ratio in batch cultivation of G. sulfurreducens different product patterns occur. With a donor/acceptor ratio of 1:2.5 malate accumulated as an intermediate product but was metabolized to succinate subsequently. At the end of the cultivation, the ratio of fumarate consumed and succinate produced was approximately 1:1. When fumarate was added in excess, malate accumulated in the fermentation broth without further metabolization. After the addition of acetate to stationary cells, malate concentration decreased immediately and additional succinate was synthesized. Finally, it was shown that also resting cells of G. sulfurreducens could efficiently convert fumarate to malate without an additional electron donor. Overall, it was demonstrated that by altering the donor/acceptor ratio, targeted optimization of the metabolite conversion by G. sulfurreducens can be realized.

Age estimation using Orthopantomographs – a study on radiomorphometric parameters of mandibular ramus and gonial angle in south Indian population.Abhishek Gupta,1 Vijayalaxmi K R,21 Oral Medicine and Radiology, Chitwan Medical College, Chitwan, 44207, Nepal.2 Oral Medicine and Radiology, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore,560001, India.Correspondence should be addressed to Abhishek Gupta; gupta.abhishek@cmc.edu.npAbstractBackground . Age estimation using orthopantomographs (OPGs) has been in practice for a long time, but none of the methods is considered universally accepted yet. Very few studies have been conducted using radiomorphometric indices for age estimation. This study was conducted to assess the radiomorphometric indices using digital OPGs and their applicability for age estimation of individuals in south Indian population. Materials and Methods . OPGs of 611 individuals ( 302 male and 309 females) were selected on basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The OPGs of the patients ( age 0 to 69 years) were divided into 7 groups ( each decade) . The 6 radiomorphometric indices of bilateral Mandible ( upper and lower Ramus breadth; condylar , projected and coronoid ramus height ; and gonial angle ) were measured on Monitor of 15” display LED Screen using IMAGE J software.Results. The mean gonial angle was found to be higher in females as compared to males in all the age groups (with maximum in 10-19years age groups ) except in 03-09years age groups. In contrast to that, mean condylar height , mean projected condylar height , mean coronoid ramus height, and mean ramus breadth were found to be higher in males as compared to females in all the age groups except in 03-09 years groups, which was statically significant. Gonial angle was found to be greater in 3 to 19years age group, and thereafter decreasing with age. Condylar height , projective condylar height and coronoid ramus height were found to be increasing during 2nd and 3rddecades i.e 19 to 39 age group and thereafter decreasing with age (positive correlation ). Conclusion . Condylar height was found to be the most significant age predictor and ramus breadth was found to be most insignificant age predictor.IntroductionAge assessment involves many factors with limited precision.1 One of the simple and accurate maturational indicator is skeletal development.2 Age bring changes in teeth and bone including the facial bones.3 Also, these structures remains for a very long period of life and serve as a reliable indicator of age, with mandibular bone being more valuable as its remodeling is continuous.4 Dental status, chronological age, and masticatory muscle all influence mandibular condyle and ramus remodeling. 5 Maxillofacial radiography is a routine investigation in the clinical practice and orthopantomographs (OPGs) are the most widely used as they show the complete bilateral maxillofacial complex as well as mandibular vital structures.6 Thus, it can be considered a simple, readily available and considerably accurate assessment tool in the vertical dimension and for anterior horizontal , anterior oblique and posterior oblique measurements.7 Methods based on measurements and morphometry are noted to be accurate and can be used in determination of age. Determining the predictor of age among the various radiomorphometric indices1,3,9 and deriving a formulae3 for the age estimation has been a subject of study by various researchers in the last few years . A review of the literature suggests that several studies10 have been performed using different ramus metric measurements for age estimation with controversial results, and there is also a scarcity of such studies among the Indian population. Realizing the paucity, this study was planned with the following aims : a) to assess the radiomorphometric parameters of mandibular ramus on digital OPG; b) to predict the chronological age of an individual using radiomorphometric index; c) to compare the predicted age with the actual age of the individual; and d) to determine the best radiomorphometric parameter for determination of age among individuals in south Indian population using digital OPGs.Materials and MethodsAfter the ethical clearance from the instituitional ethical committee , this study was carried out in the Department of Oral Medicine & Radiology, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bangalore, on OPGs of 611 subjects aged 6-69 years , during the period of August 2016 to July 2018. The OPGs were selected on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria by an observer who did not participated in the further analysis. Minimum sample size was calculated using formula: Z2 σ 2 / d2 with 95% confidence interval , σ = 0.71 (from previous study )11 with maximum permissible error 0.06 (6 % error of OPG due to magnification) , n= 537.93.They number around 538 in total. A kodak Carstream (CS 81OO 3D) OPG machine was used for taking OPGs by a single radiographer using a standard technique and parameters to maintain uniformity of the images obtained. IMAGE J software (image calibrated to 1:1 ratio using a scale so that the measurement do not vary on magnifying in and out ) and a monitor of 15” display LED screen was used to measure (in centimetres) six radiomorphometric indices.

White sponge nevus (WSN) /Canon’s disease is a rare, autosomal dominant mucosal disorder. WSN falls in the category of Oral Genodermatosis which can be easily diagnosed based on the history and clinical examination. Here we report the first two cases of WSN in a young girl and her mother.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers that metastasize to the bone. bone metastasis is usually osteoblastic, and diffuse osteolytic lesion on presentation is unusual. Here, we are reporting MRI image of patient presented with diffuse osteolytic lesion and found to have metastatic prostate cancer.