One of the great challenges in the near future will be the sustainable production of sufficient amounts of safe food worldwide. A combination of adverse demographic factors and climatological perturbations is expected to impact on food systems globally . Several studies have demonstrated that abiotic stress conditions induce aberrant expression of miRNAs that reduce steady-state levels of their target mRNAs. To shed more light on this subtopic Leister et al. review the link between the expression of chloroplast genes and whole-cell acclimation to environmental changes. Although only a small fraction of the genes present in the original cyanobacterial endosymbiont remains in the modern organelle, perturbation of their expression plays a major role in triggering acclimation and tolerance responses via signaling from the chloroplast to the nucleus. Zoschke et al. have investigated the effect of a maize chlorophyll-deficient mutant, chl1H/gun5, on the translation of plastidic transcripts coding for chlorophyll-binding apoproteins (CBPs). By comparing the positions and numbers of ribosomes on the plastidic transcripts of wild-type and mutant plants, the authors concluded that chlorophyll availability modulates the stability rather than the synthesis of CBPs in plastids. Furthermore, the chl1H mutation had no effect on the partitioning of CBP footprints, suggesting that co-translational targeting of the nascent peptides into the thylakoid membrane is independent of chlorophyll binding by the CBPs.Two papers included in the Topic deal with aspects of organellar gene expression. Sablok et al. summarize recent global analyses of mRNA populations associated with ribosomes (now referred to as the “translatome”), highlighting the importance of alternative splicing and the application of these technologies to polyploid plant species. Miras et al. focus on translation in plants infected with RNA viruses. Plant viruses have evolved subtle mechanisms, such as mRNA cis-translational enhancers, to recruit the host's translational machinery and initiate translation by non-canonical mechanisms. The authors highlight the diversity of these translational elements and focus on current knowledge of their structure and interactions with the host's translational initiation apparatus.Finally, the Topic includes a review of translational regulation during development and under stressful conditions, and an overview of the translation of viral RNAs. We believe that this compilation of original research articles and reviews will bring the reader up to date on the current state of the art in the field of post-transcriptional and translational regulation in plants. We are also convinced that advances in this area will be of the utmost importance for the development of biotechnological tools for yield enhancement.All authors listed have made substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Editorial on the Research TopicIntrinsic ClocksThe existence of living organisms on our planet has been dependent on and co-evolved with the foreseeable variations in environmental conditions oscillating over recurring periods. All species have responded to these exogenous rhythms by developing endogenous clocks that allow for an approximate, but reliable estimation of the periodic changes and elicit corresponding adaptive processes.period contributed to the emergence  rhythm of a population and to the locomotor activity of individual flies (Drosophila melanogaster). The key to the explanation was the discovery of transcription-translation feedback loops of the so-called “clock genes.”The importance of these mechanisms for health and disease has been highlighted by the 2017 award of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young for their discoveries of the genetic control of the daily biological rhythm. They explained in molecular terms how the gene named as Intrinsic Clocks which appeared earlier comprises a well-balanced collection of original research and review articles on endogenous rhythms from seasonal and monthly to daily and hourly oscillations in different experimental model systems with analytical approaches from systemic to cellular and molecular levels.This research topic on Serchov and Heumann in their review focus on the role of Ras, an enzyme which hydrolyzes guanosine triphosphate and dependent intracellular signaling cascades in the regulation of the circadian rhythm in mice. They elegantly summarize how Ras activity forms a molecular bridge between entrainment of the suprachiasmatic nucleus that is the master clock in the brain and synaptic plasticity in dependent brain regions, such as the hippocampus, and corresponding functions. The extensive study by Chiang et al. specifically investigated rhythmic alterations in the murine hippocampus. They characterized the protein phosphorylation using a mass spectrometry approach with which they provided large-scale quantitative analysis of the daily oscillation of hippocampal phosphorylation events over a range of biological pathways. The hippocampus is a key focus also in the review by Urs Albrecht. It features the role of circadian proteins in the control of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, reciprocally implicated in depression and antidepressant responses. He discusses neurobiological mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, such as monoaminergic neurotransmission and stress response by the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. The hypothalamus and the pituitary are further involved in seasonal cycles as highlighted in the review by Lewis and Ebling who elaborate in detail on the role of tanycytes, pituitary radial glial cells, in the regulation of circannual clocks in hamsters. They provide evidence supporting their hypothesis that tanycytes serve as central organizers of seasonal rhythms in the adult hypothalamus. Raible et al. present in their review on marine animals the current insight in the cellular mechanisms in molecular detail the monthly or semi-monthly rhythms. They express their worry about light pollution and further review the relevance of circalunar rhythms to mammalian physiology and reproduction in specific. They speculate that these rhythms may be the remnant of evolutionary ancient clocks, which were uncoupled from a natural entrainment mechanism.Bourguignon and Storch summarize recent findings of the cellular substrate and mechanism, which generate locomotor activity with periods of 2–6 h. Such rhythms are normally integrated with circadian rhythms, but often lack the period stability and expression robustness. They further review the concept of the dopaminergic ultradian oscillator and show that ultradian locomotor rhythms rely on cells in the brain using dopamine for transmission. Intriguingly, Monje et al. report in their study on interleukin-6 knockout mice that the ultradian locomotor rhythm was impaired under both light-entrained and free-running conditions, whereas the circadian period and the level of locomotor activity as well as the phase shift response to light exposure at night remained normal. During the day, Cry1 and Bhlhe41 expression levels were increased whereas those of Nr1d2 were decreased in the hippocampus. Liu and Zhang first created mutants of cryptochrome circadian clock 1 (Cry1) protein at potential phosphorylation sites and conducted thereafter a screen in Cry1/Cry2 double deficient cells. They targeted at identifying mutations that disrupted circadian rhythms. They found that these single amino acid substitutions changed not only the circadian period, but also repression activity, protein stability, or cellular localization of the protein. Concerning the circadian period, Narasimamurthy and Virshup elucidate in their review the molecular mechanisms that regulate an enigma of the clock. Unlike other chemical reactions, the output of the clock as measured with the period remains nearly constant with fluctuations in ambient temperature. This is called as temperature compensation. The key lies especially in the mechanism that controls the stability of period circadian clock 2 protein. Clock-enhancing small molecules have become of particular interest as candidate chronotherapeutics, since there is a close association of circadian amplitude dampening with progression of chronic diseases, especially that of mood disorders. Gloston et al. present in their review an update of the regulatory mechanisms of circadian amplitude and the current status of these small molecules of therapeutic interest. Millius and Ueda introduce the readers to study of biology which takes advantage of engineering and mathematical tools to model and test the behaviors of the intrinsic clocks. It has evolved through the development of both wet lab and in silico work. The goal here is to understand the clocks that are made up of a range of complex properties of cells, tissues, and organisms.Intrinsic Clocks highlights the vibrant scientific activity in the field of the investigation of endogenous biological rhythms and their relevance for physiology and pathology.The cross-section of studies comprised in this research topic on TP and DP planned and wrote the manuscript together.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


The internal iliac artery (IIA) is one of the branches of the common iliac artery and supplies the pelvic viscera, the musculoskeletal part of the pelvis, the gluteal region, the medial thigh region and the perineum. During routine cadaveric dissection of a male cadaver for undergraduate Medical students, we observed variation in the course and branching pattern of the left IIA. The artery gave rise to two common trunks and then to the middle rectal artery, inferior vesicle artery and superior vesicle artery. The first, slightly larger, common trunk gave rise to an unnamed artery, the lateral sacral artery and the superior gluteal artery. The second, smaller, common trunk entered the gluteal region through the greater sciatic foramen, below the piriformis muscle and presented a stellate branching pattern deep to the gluteus maximus muscle. Two of the arteries forming the stellate pattern were the internal pudendal artery and the inferior gluteal artery. The other two were muscular branches. The internal iliac artery (IIA) is one of the two terminal branches of the common iliac artery. The branching takes place at the level of the lumbosacral articular disc and in front of the sacroiliac joint. The artery consists of a trunk and two divisions, namely the anterior division and the posterior division. The arterial trunk passes subperitoneally downwards in front of the sacroiliac joint and, on approaching the upper margin of the greater sciatic foramen, it divides into anterior and posterior divisions.-The anterior division gives off the obliterated umbilical artery, superior vesicle artery, middle rectal artery, obturator artery, uterine artery, vaginal artery, inferior gluteal artery and the internal pudendal artery. The vaginal artery corresponds to the inferior vesicle artery in males. Arising from the posterior division are three branches, the iliolumbar artery, superior gluteal artery and lateral sacral arteries. The branches of the IIA supply the pelvic viscera, the musculoskeletal part of the pelvis, the gluteal region, the medial thigh region and the perineum. The IIA is the proximal part of the umbilical artery whereas its distal end obliterates after birth. Knowledge of the variations in the origin, course and branches of IIA helps in planning and conducting surgeries involving the areas supplied by the artery. Classification of variant patterns of branches of the IIA has been documented.During routine cadaveric dissection of a male cadaver for undergraduate Medical students, we observed variation in the course and branching pattern of the left IIA. The variant vessels were dissected as documented in Cunningham’s manual of practical anatomy.The obturator artery did not arise from the internal iliac artery. Rather, the obturator artery arose from inferior epigastric artery (IEA). It gave off two unusual branches before entering the obturator foramen. These two branches anastomosed with each other on the obturator internus. One of them coursed lateral to the prostate and entered the crus of the penis. The other branch supplied the obturator internus. The obturator vein drained into the external iliac vein. The above variations are shown in Owing to the numerous branches arising from the IIA, variations in the IIA branching pattern have been often reported. In this case, variations were observed in the branching pattern of anterior as well as posterior divisions. For over a century, various authors have devised various classifications of the branching patterns of the internal iliac artery. Way back in 1891, JastchinskiFollowing this, a modified classification based on the Adachi classification was proposed by Yamaki et al.A study of the variability of origin of parietal branches of the IIA stated that the inferior gluteal and internal pudendal vessels were given off by a common trunk in 63.2% of cases.,,,The uniqueness of the variant described in this case lies in the branching of the IGA and the IPA. The stellate branching pattern, including the common trunk and two muscular branches, was observed in the gluteal region. Branching of the IGA and IPA outside the pelvis has been reported in the literature previoulsy,,The obturator artery in this case took origin from the inferior epigastric artery, as already reported in the literature. One study has reported a low rate of incidence of the obturator artery originating from the inferior epigastric artery, in 6% of cases,,,During embryonic life, the most appropriate channels of the developing IIA enlarge, while the others disappear, giving rise to a final arterial pattern. In this process, there is a chance of disappearance of one of the major appropriate channels or vice versa, which may result in a variant arterial pattern as reported here. Successful ligation of the IIA is important for surgeons, since efficacy of ligation of this artery in pelvic surgeries varies from 42 to 75%.Knowledge of the stellate branch of the internal iliac artery is of importance to plastic surgeons engaged in raising inferior gluteal artery perforator flaps for breast reconstruction surgery.Though it is common to see variant internal iliac artery branching patterns, the current combination of variant branches including a stellate artery in the gluteal region, an abnormal obturator artery and its unusual branches has not been reported previously. The large stellate artery under the gluteus maximus muscle could cause bleeding during posterior approaches to the hip joint and also in hipbone fractures. Unusual branches of the abnormal obturator artery could get damaged during prostate surgeries. Knowledge of these variations is therefore of importance to general surgeons and orthopedic surgeons.


In In The LAMA2 mutation in Patient 20 is also listed incorrectly in the fourth sentence of the second paragraph of the MDCMD subsection of the Results section. The correct sentence is: Three frameshift deletions or insertions , four splice site variants , and one nonsense mutation  were expected to produce truncated proteins.


Image-based plant phenotyping facilitates the extraction of traits noninvasively by analyzing large number of plants in a relatively short period of time. It has the potential to compute advanced phenotypes by considering the whole plant as a single object (holistic phenotypes) or as individual components, i.e., leaves and the stem (component phenotypes), to investigate the biophysical characteristics of the plants. The emergence timing, total number of leaves present at any point of time and the growth of individual leaves during vegetative stage life cycle of the maize plants are significant phenotypic expressions that best contribute to assess the plant vigor. However, image-based automated solution to this novel problem is yet to be explored.A set of new holistic and component phenotypes are introduced in this paper. To compute the component phenotypes, it is essential to detect the individual leaves and the stem. Thus, the paper introduces a novel method to reliably detect the leaves and the stem of the maize plants by analyzing 2-dimensional visible light image sequences captured from the side using a graph based approach. The total number of leaves are counted and the length of each leaf is measured for all images in the sequence to monitor leaf growth. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, we introduce University of Nebraska–Lincoln Component Plant Phenotyping Dataset (UNL-CPPD) and provide ground truth to facilitate new algorithm development and uniform comparison. The temporal variation of the component phenotypes regulated by genotypes and environment  are experimentally demonstrated for the maize plants on UNL-CPPD. Statistical models are applied to analyze the greenhouse environment impact and demonstrate the genetic regulation of the temporal variation of the holistic phenotypes on the public dataset called Panicoid Phenomap-1.The central contribution of the paper is a novel computer vision based algorithm for automated detection of individual leaves and the stem to compute new component phenotypes along with a public release of a benchmark dataset, i.e., UNL-CPPD. Detailed experimental analyses are performed to demonstrate the temporal variation of the holistic and component phenotypes in maize regulated by environment and genetic variation with a discussion on their significance in the context of plant science. The complex interaction between genotype and the environment determines the phenotypic characteristics of a plant which ultimately influences yield and resource acquisition. Image-based plant phenotyping refers to the proximal sensing and quantification of plant traits based on analyzing their images captured at regular intervals with precision. It facilitates the analysis of a large number of plants in a relatively short period of time with no or little manual intervention to compute diverse phenotypes. The process is generally non-destructive, allowing the same traits to be quantified repeatedly at multiple times during a plant’s life cycle. However, extracting meaningful numerical phenotypes based on image-based automated plant phenotyping remains a critical bottleneck in the effort to link intricate plant phenotypes to genetic expression.The analysis of visible light  image sequence of plants for phenotyping is broadly classified into two categories: holistic and component-based . HolistiZea mays) or corn, has been the preeminent model for studying plant genetics over the past century, and is widely employed in both private and public sector research efforts in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Maize is one of the three grass crops, along with rice and wheat, that directly or indirectly provides half of the total world caloric consumption each year. Arabidopsis and Tobacco have been widely used as the model plants for various applications in computer vision based plant phenotyping, i.e., leaf segmentation using 3-dimensional histogram cubes and superpixels )


Flavivirus; Flaviviridae) with the capacity to infect only mosquitoes have been described in the last 10 years. By contrast, only two such viruses had been described in the previous 33 years.1 This burgeoning expansion of the known virome has largely outpaced the scientific capacity for characterizing these agents in any detail. Furthermore, many of the methodologies used for rapid genetic detection (such as placing mosquitoes directly in nucleic acid extraction buffers and the use of FTA cards for blood samples) preclude the isolation of the agents.The expanded use of next generation sequencing tools has led to an explosion in the rate of discovery of novel viral agents and has had a measured effect on the capacity to genetically identify the presence of previously described viruses in new geographic environments and within different hosts and vectors. For example, more than 30 flaviviruses , disease potential (through pathogenesis testing), and potential for serological protection against known human disease agents.A slowed pace of arbovirus discovery in international tropical locations (1970–2005) has been associated with the cessation of directed virus discovery efforts by the Rockefeller Foundation in the late 1960s.American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, a collaborative group of investigators from Brazil and the United States genetically and phenotypically describe viruses from the Gamboa serocomplex .4 The investigators identified four genotypes within the serocomplex, evidence of reassortment events among the three genomic segments, and the existence of more complicated genetic relationships between the viruses that were previously identified by classical serological techniques . The study demonstrates the power of combining archival and prospective sampling for viruses in concert with new technologies that allow for the rapid genetic characterization of viruses. The existence of isolates allowed the investigators to determine the seroprevalence of Gamboa virus in birds and mammals, and it was revealed that exposure rates are considerably higher in birds. Coupled with the isolation of viruses from birds and ornithophilic mosquitoes, these data further implicate birds as important reservoir hosts. Pathological characterization in newborn chickens demonstrated seroconversion with limited disease presentation. Although no human disease association with Gamboa virus has been identified, these kinds of studies provide a comprehensive presentation of genetic, antigenic, and epidemiological data from which a more complete appreciation for human and veterinary disease potential can be assessed, and serve as a reminder that without balanced efforts to produce material from field samples that can be used for phenotypic and serological characterization, only a partial understanding of viral epidemiology and pathogenesis can be achieved.In this issue of the


It was found that staggerer mothers produced smaller litters than controls and the number of oocytes produced in their ovaries was reduced by the staggerer mutation. These results indicate a pleiotropic effect on fertility of the Rorasg gene underlying the cerebellar abnormalities of the staggerer mutant.Disturbances in several reproductive functions of the staggerer cerebellar mutant mouse have been observed. In this study, reproductive efficiency of


The biological processes that come into play during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) have been shown to be influenced by a variety of pharmacological agents. The effects of such agents are of particular relevance to the clinician as the rate of tooth movement can be accelerated or reduced as a result. This review aims to provide an overview of recent insights into drug-mediated effects and the potential use of drugs to influence the rate of tooth movement during orthodontic treatment. The limitations of current experimental models and the need for well-designed clinical and pre-clinical studies are also discussed. During orthodontic treatment, the application of sustained force on teeth sets in motion processes that ultimately lead to alveolar bone remodeling. These biochemical processes involve a multitude of cellular and molecular networks  and discuss the potential of pharmacological strategies aimed at supporting orthodontic interventions.A necessary prerequisite for selecting, designing and testing suitable molecules to influence OTM is a detailed knowledge of the role of the different cellular and molecular components driving the biological process of OTM.To achieve OTM, mechanical forces are applied on teeth. This initially causes fluid movement within the periodontal ligament (PDL) space and distortion of the PDL components , setting into motion the process of release of a multitude of molecules  which initiate alveolar bone remodeling , which act on capillaries and cause the adhesion and migration of blood leukocytes into the area of compression  are subjected to mechanical stress they express cytokines, growth factors and cytokine receptors. Osteoblasts express IL-1b, IL-6, IL-11, TNFa and their receptors in response to compressive stress. IL-b shows an autocrine effect and enhances the phenomenon  which are produced by activated fibroblasts.MMPs either degrade collagen fibers (MMP-1 and MMP-8) or eliminate the degraded collagen (MMP-9 and MMP-2) to allow tooth movement  are the chemokines. These are chemotactic cytokines that have been recognized as playing key roles in inflammatory processes but only recently the role of CC inflammatory chemokines in mechanically-induced bone remodeling is starting to become clearer  is the most widely researched PG with respect to OTM. PGE2 is produced mainly by PDL fibroblasts and osteoblasts  and LTD4 (a cysteinyl leukotriene), , IL-1RA (a receptor antagonist cytokine which controls the effects of IL-1), IL-12, and IL-10  under low stress conditions  and many of them have been cloned and could provide drug targets for the regulation of the synthesis of specific prostaglandins, such as PGE2 in the case of OTM  preparations are polyspecific and polyclonal immunoglobulin therapeutic preparations used as a replacement therapy in immunodeficient patients  exerts its effects directly on osteoblasts and indirectly on osteoclasts through binding to the PTH type 1 receptor on osteoblasts, leading to expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which promotes osteoblastogenesis and osteoblast survival, and of RANKL, which promotes osteoclast activation. PTH is also likely interacting with bone lining cells promoting early osteogenesis ,  to inhibit tooth movement and enhance stability, stems from the known physiological role that OPG plays within the PDL in regulating the bone resorbing activity of osteoclasts. OPG is produced by osteoblasts and is a decoy receptor for RANKL which prevents the interaction of RANKL present on osteoblasts' surface with its receptor RANK on osteoclasts. In the absence of RANKL-RANK interactions, the activation, terminal differentiation and survival of osteoclasts are negatively affected. Changes in the ratio of RANKL/OPG in the PDL can fine-tune alveolar bone resorption. A number of groups attempted to influence tooth movement in animal models by locally altering the concentration of either OPG or RANKL aiming to enhance or decrease the resorptive action of osteoclasts  are derivatives of the tetracycline groups of antibiotics that lack antimicrobial activity and the adverse effects associated with the conventional tetracyclines. Their ability to inhibit MMPs and pro-inflammatory cytokines and their apoptotic effects on osteoclasts initially rendered them attractive therapeutic agents for the management of chronic periodontitis. The CMTs have been shown to modify the COX-2 enzyme leading to inhibition of PGE2 production  ATPases (proton pumps) upon their activation. These V-ATPases are transported through interaction with microfilaments within the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane- a unique ability limited to clast cells, thus making the targeting of this process a highly specific means for modulation of tooth movement. Enoxacin was first identified by crystal structure-based virtual screening as one of the potential molecules which could block the binding site of V-ATPase to actin  inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast formation from bone marrow-derived macrophages possibly by supressing a key event in the RANKL induced intracellular signaling pathway or by interfering with M-CFS signaling  increases under conditions of hypoxia and mechanical stress in PDL fibroblasts and that hypoxia has been shown to lead to the expression of key genes involved in the recruitment and activation of osteoclasts  were tested in a split mouth design in rats  epitopes. Such proteins include osteopontin and bone sialoprotein  the inherently different biology in animals which prevents complete inference of the effects and the side effects of the pharmacological agents in humans, (2) the inability to calculate from animal experiments suitable dosages for clinical testing, as systemic application of the drug is often used in these models and may not result in effective or comparable (species difference) drug concentrations at the site of orthodontic intervention, (3) the generally small sample sizes used and different ages of animals used, which makes reliable conclusions even in the animal studies impossible to be reached, (4) the lack of longer-term animal studies, which would enable examination of the effects of an agents on tooth movement over a time period and also allow observation of side-effects.Tooth movement is a complex process controlled by the nature of the mechanical stimuli, by a multitude of signaling pathways and influenced by the individual's genetic make-up  recruitment of sufficient patient numbers, (2) evaluation of the effect of individual variation, (3) need for initial dose-response studies including measurements to assess the levels of the therapeutic agent at the sites of interest and measurements of the tissue-level outcomes.The huge majority of the above mentioned studies have employed a systemic administration or local injection of the pharmacological agents. There is multitude of problems associated with these approaches. A systemic administration does not ensure a constant delivery of an ideal dose of the agent in the PDL. As it is not clear how circulating values correspond to the gingival dose and how they fluctuate in time, mainly due to degradation of the agent, in many cases a dose tested in the experimental set-up could have been insufficient to obtain the desired biologic effect. A more important problem is the potential of systemic administration to provoke undesirable systemic effects, especially when pharmacological agents lacking specificity are used. The mere evaluation of side effects is doubtful in the current experimental protocols as either the test periods are too short or the experimental protocol has not included specific methods to evaluate such effects.Local injection of a pharmacological agent or local gene transfer also come with significant problems. For an intervention to be clinically useful, it must be characterized by practicality in its application (in terms of cost and time) and minimal discomfort for the patient. Daily or even frequent invasive procedures are a major prohibiting factors for clinical application. In addition, during tooth movement different biological processes take place at distinct sites of the PDL. Bone resorption and bone formation occur simultaneously at different areas of the PDL (areas of compression. vs. areas of tension). The proteoglycan component of the extracellular matrix of the PDL, a hydrated gel, allows the diffusion of free small molecules  within the pdl and presents a big challenge to the effort of achieving targeted therapeutic interventions at specific sites (compressions vs. tension). Most of the drugs used can and will influence both processes and can furthermore influence other physiological cellular functions. The use of integrin inhibitors is a good example of that.Targeting key processes in the bone remodeling mechanism without other undesirable local side effects precludes a detailed knowledge of the cellular events involved. The selection of appropriate targets for the drugs and the design of novel drugs or suitable analogs of naturally occurring molecules with high specificity, is key for clinically successful strategies. The pharmacological agents also need to demonstrate high potency and efficacy in order to achieve clinically significant differences.The cost implications of the process of designing, testing and eventually obtaining approval for the clinical application of a potential therapeutic agents need to be carefully considered and kept to the minimum to decrease the eventual cost to the patient. A very useful approach as demonstrated by the processes that led to the identification of enoxacin, is to screen already known and approved molecules for clinical applications.Suitable drug delivery materials need to be developed to provide the appropriate mode of release of pharmacological agents in their active form, that is, at the desired rate and amount for a long period of time (reflecting the duration of orthodontic treatment or retention time). Sustained and low grade prostagladin release through a suitable delivery system could, for example, be used to induce and sustain further endogenous PG production (through a known amplifying mechanism). This can be used to prolong the effects of short periods of stress in OTM.It is also important that the drug carriers do not have a tendency to spread into a larger area from the application site or that are induced only at areas of bone remodeling (such as matrix-bound inducible molecules). An ideal vehicle for drug delivery must be non-toxic/biocompatible  and the Swiss Cancer League.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Genomic characterization of plant cell wall degrading enzymes and in silico analysis of xylanses and polygalacturonases of Fusarium virguliforme". However, this was incorrect and the title of the manuscript should read “Genomic characterization of plant cell wall degrading enzymes and in silico analysis of xylanases and polygalacturonases of Fusarium virguliforme”. This has since been acknowledged and corrected in this erratum.Upon publication of the original article , the tit


We extend the discussion on how their findings contribute to our understanding of the role of the PVT in drug seeking by providing new insight on the role of the PVT in the regulation of food-seeking and fear responses. We also consider the significance of the neuroanatomical findings reported by Clark et al., that the PVT is reciprocally connected with areas of the brain involved in addiction and discuss the implications associated with the source and type of dopaminergic fibers innervating this area of the thalamus.This commentary focuses on novel findings by Clark et al. (2017) published in  The article describes experiments using a virally driven strategy in which the authors investigate the anatomic, physiologic, and behavioral properties of D2R expressing neurons in the PVT. Here, we will extend the discussion on how their findings contribute to our understanding of the role of the PVT in drug-seeking behavior by providing new insight into the recently described participation of this region in the regulation of food-seeking and fear responses. In addition, we will consider the significance of the neuroanatomical findings reported by This commentary focuses on novel findings by There is an emerging agreement that the paraventricular nucleus of the midline thalamus (PVT) is an important component of the forebrain circuits that mediate emotional and motivated behaviors . This hain situ hybridization for D2R mRNA in wild-type mice, in vitro. They found that a large proportion of D2R-containing PVT neurons were tonically active and that application of the D2R agonist quinpirole inhibited the firing rate of these cells without altering the response of non-D2R-containing neurons in the same region. Quantification of GFP positive neurons revealed that approximately two thirds of PVT neurons express D2R, a striking high density if we consider that only one third of the nucleus accumbens neurons express D2R  into the PVT of DrD2-Cre mice to label the axonal projections of these neurons across the entire brain. The pattern of innervation observed after specifically targeting D2R-containing neurons was consistent with previous tracing studies describing the efferents of the posterior aspects of PVT . A denseIn contrast to the PVT-striatal pathway, the presence of reciprocal connections between the PVT and the prefrontal cortex reported in It is also interesting to note that while the PVT receives projections from dopamine neurons in the hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray , the monLow levels of striatal dopamine D2R may predispose individuals to use stimulant drugs like cocaine . Consist


In many areas of human life, people perform in teams. These teams' performances depend, at least partly, on team members' abilities to coordinate their contributions effectively  information about co-actors' actions and the team score affects team performance. Additionally, they test for differences in the effectiveness of specific coordination strategies over time.To assess the coordination of baseball infielders, Pina et al. measure team performance by discriminating between successful and unsuccessful offensive plays in association football. They use social network analyses to calculate variables describing a team's passing network and test the predictive value of these network variables for the successfulness of team performance. Li et al. consider co-authorships of published articles as an indicator of team knowledge creation. Social network analysis is used to calculate variables describing the co-author networks and to test relations between network variables and team knowledge creation. Ramos et al. assent to the contributions of social networks analysis to understanding team behavior. With the goal of further expanding the capabilities of this methodological approach, the authors evaluate the use of hypernetworks that simultaneously access cooperative and competitive interactions between teammates and adversaries across space and time and on various levels of analysis.Three contributions engage in network analysis. Feigean et al. use boat velocity as a performance measure. They describe changes of the crew performance after a 6-week training interval and explore to which extent practice induced team benefits are obtained through distinct individual adaptions of the rowing patterns.In a case study involving a newly assembled rowing crew, Stevens and Galloway use EEG data of the members of performing teams to quantitating the teams' neurodynamic organizations. Individual EEG data linked to measures of social coordination during the evolution of performed tasks are transformed into symbolic information units about the team's neural organization and synchronization. The authors discuss the potential the results raise for developing quantitative models of team dynamics that enable comparisons across teams and tasks.Gesbert et al. adopt a phenomenological approach to explore how soccer players' lived experiences are linked to the active regulation of team coordination during offensive transition situations. They present different collective regulation modes that result from the qualitative analyses of the athletes' phenomenological reports.Gorman et al. illustrate the use of viewing teams as dynamical systems for understanding the coordination principles underlying teamwork. They advocate a systems perspective on teamwork that is based on general coordination principles lying within the individuals and present a framework for understanding and modeling teams as dynamical systems.Reviewing empirical findings, Steiner et al. provide an integrative perspective on coordination in interactive sport teams and define a framework that considers the coexisting contributions of shared mental models, situation-specific  information and individuals' constructionist perspectives on current game situations to enabling team coordination.Bowers et al.'s contribution is dedicated to team resilience. The concept is used to explain why and how teams are able to maintain performance levels when facing adversity in the form of specific stressors. The authors provide a theoretical model of team resilience as an emergent state at the group level.The contributions to this Research Topic offer a multifaceted insight into current research on team coordination and team functioning. We hope that they inspire further research on the topic as much remains to be learned about the successful coordination of team behavior. The many areas of human life in which performance is delivered by teams adumbrates the large field of application that could benefit from a deepened understanding.SS, RS, and NC contributed to the ms and gave final approval of the version to be submitted.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


DEAR EDITOR1 Soft tissue tumors such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC) are the most common tumors of this region. The choice of treatment for BCC is surgical demolitions. Since these tumors grow more aggressively and are so likely to recur from the involved surgical margins, the surgery requires often wide resection of the midfacial region’s structures to obliterate adequate margin.2 Thus reconstruction surgery of defected regions plays an important role in the integrity of complex facial expressions, facial functions and the aesthetic outcome. In the present study, we described an eccentric case of a recurrence of a BCC managed by a paramedian forehead flap in an unusual condition.Nose is the most common site of facial skin cancer because of its continuous sun exposure.The patient is an 85-year old man, who was referred to our center for BCC recurrence after previous resection in almost 30 years ago  . He undAs it is well known, vascular pedicles in both sides of nasofrontal zone, containing supratrochlear arteries as axial, is the basis of median flap. If the stalk of flap is dissected for any reasons, other vessels and their multiple anastomoses supply forehead and supraorbital zones. In this case, we used paramedian flap in base of previous median flap pedicle. Since all of the cardinal arteries were dissected in the previous surgery, as the narrowed remained pedicle, the blood supply of the used paramedian forehead flap was only based on blood supply from a rich plexus of the anastomosing vessels from the terminal branches of angular artery in the nasal bridge. 3-5Unlike the absence of a certain arterial supply in the flap pedicle there was not any ischemic event after the flap raised and inset. Then the patient candidate for three stage flap operation. The long term follow-up did not show evidence of any abnormalities of the wound or recurrence of the tumor . Median In conclusion, for special occasions, to inset in defected area, it is acceptable to raise paramedian flap in base of previously used flap pedicles, without the presence of any axial arteries and only in base of rich anastomotic arterial plexus in the nasofrontal angle of each side. The authors declare no conflict of interest.


Optimal contribution methods have proved to be very efficient for controlling the rates at which coancestry and inbreeding increase and therefore, for maintaining genetic diversity. These methods have usually relied on pedigree information for estimating genetic relationships between animals. However, with the large amount of genomic information now available such as high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips that contain thousands of SNPs, it becomes possible to calculate more accurate estimates of relationships and to target specific regions in the genome where there is a particular interest in maximising genetic diversity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using genomic coancestry matrices for: (1) minimising the loss of genetic variability at specific genomic regions while restricting the overall loss in the rest of the genome; or (2) maximising the overall genetic diversity while restricting the loss of diversity at specific genomic regions.Our study shows that the use of genomic coancestry was very successful at minimising the loss of diversity and outperformed the use of pedigree-based coancestry (genetic diversity even increased in some scenarios). The results also show that genomic information allows a targeted optimisation to maintain diversity at specific genomic regions, whether they are linked or not. The level of variability maintained increased when the targeted regions were closely linked. However, such targeted management leads to an important loss of diversity in the rest of the genome and, thus, it is necessary to take further actions to constrain this loss. Optimal contribution methods also proved to be effective at restricting the loss of diversity in the rest of the genome, although the resulting rate of coancestry was higher than the constraint imposed.The use of genomic matrices when optimising contributions permits the control of genetic diversity and inbreeding at specific regions of the genome through the minimisation of partial genomic coancestry matrices. The formula used to predict coancestry in the next generation produces biased results and therefore it is necessary to refine the theory of genetic contributions when genomic matrices are used to optimise contributions. A) that represents expected relationships assuming neutrality and does not take into account variation due to Mendelian sampling. Thus, although its use has proved to be efficient to manage genetic diversity, it has some limitations. For instance, individuals from the same (full-sib) family inherit different sets of alleles but they are assumed to be equally related. In addition, since matrix A does not consider differences between genomic regions, optimisation of contributions will, on average, control the rate of coancestry to the chosen value, but some genomic regions may have substantially higher rates than desired.It is generally accepted that control of the rate of coancestry provides a general framework to manage genetic variability. Optimal contribution (OC) methods , 2 permiA is replaced by a realised relationship matrix that is calculated by taking into account variation in the level of relationship between animals of the same family and variation between genomic regions ),This study confirms that the use of genomic coancestry in the optimisation of contributions is substantially more efficient in maintaining genetic diversity than the use of pedigree coancestry. Moreover, the use of genomic coancestry permits the targeting of specific genomic regions to minimise the loss of genetic diversity and the extension of the optimisation procedure to include restrictions for additional regions. This study also highlighted the need to refine the theory of genetic contributions using realised genomic relationship matrices in order to ensure that optimal contribution methods properly manage the genetic diversity available in a population.


Such individual case reports are valuable because of the lack of approved antivirals for norovirus infections and the increasing reports of enhanced norovirus-associated morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients [Tpatients .Nitazoxanide has previously been shown to reduce the duration of symptoms in immunocompetent individuals and to clear infection in a single immunocompromised patient with chronic myeloid leukemia . In contThe mechanism of action of nitazoxanide against norovirus is currently unknown. For other viruses, it has been shown to be 2-fold, involving inhibition of cellular processes that are required for viral infection and potentiation of the innate immune response . TherefoUntil recently, the lack of a robust and reproducible cell culture system for human noroviruses has presented a major barrier to the development and characterization of antivirals and molecular studies of human norovirus replication. Two recent advances now offer the opportunity to further investigate potential therapeutic approaches and potential strain-specific resistance phenotypes. The demonstration that immortalized B cells allow for limited norovirus replication in cell culture  provides


Apis mellifera L. Hatching spines were indeed discovered on first instar A. mellifera. The honey bee hatching process appears to differ in that the spines are displayed somewhat differently though still along the sides of the body, and the chorion, instead of splitting along the sides of the elongate egg, seems to quickly disintegrate from the emerging first instar in association with the nearly simultaneous removal of the serosa that covers and separates the first instar from the chorion. Unexpected observations of spherical bodies of various sizes perhaps containing dissolving enzymes being discharged from spiracular openings during hatching may shed future light on the process of how A. mellifera effects chorion removal during eclosion. Whereas hatching spines occur among many groups of bees, they appear to be entirely absent in the Nomadinae and parasitic Apinae, an indication of a different eclosion process. This article explores the occurrence of hatching spines among bee taxa and how these structures enable a larva on hatching to extricate itself from the egg chorion. These spines, arranged in a linear sequence along the sides of the first instar just dorsal to the spiracles, have been observed and recorded in certain groups of solitary and cleptoparasitic bee taxa. After eclosion, the first instar remains loosely covered by the egg chorion. The fact that this form of eclosion has been detected in five families (Table 1 identifies four of the families. The fifth family is the Andrenidae for which the presence of hatching spines in the Oxaeinae will soon be announced.) of bees invites speculation as to whether it is a fundamental characteristic of bees, or at least of solitary and some cleptoparasitic bees. The wide occurrence of these spines has prompted the authors to explore and discover their presence in the highly eusocial  The term “hatching spine” was used by Apis mellifera, and (3) an investigation into the egg hatching process of species of Apidae the first instar of which do not exhibit hatching spines.This study is presented in three parts: (1) a survey of hatching spines and hatching processes in solitary and cleptoparasitic bees, (2) an investigation of hatching spines in first larval instars of the highly eusocial bee, A. mellifera, oriented with anterior ends toward the left. Larval specimens had been preserved and stored in Kahle’s Solution .All SEM micrographs were captured using a Hitachi S5700 in the Microscopy and Imaging Facility of the American Museum of Natural History. All figures (except for Tetrapedia diversipes Klug (Apidae: Tetrapediini) by The presence of hatching spines in bees was initially detected in Monoeca haemorrhoidalis (Smith) and related taxa (Apidae: Tapinotaspidini)  . They debees see . This exbees see  for CentThe information in A. mellifera L. (Apidae: Apini) have not mentioned hatching spines  are playing a mechanical role in breaking the chorion.” We agree, but if the spines primarily serve to puncture the serosa e.g.,  thereby Triepeolus dacotensis emerged through an opening in the front of the egg as did Epeolus compactus according to While compiling Regarding other families of bees, we know of no taxa where the first instar emerges from the front end of the egg. Although in Ericrocis lata , may yield valuable intermediates between those of known nonsocial bees and those of A. mellifera.It seems likely that the spines involved in the dissolution of the chorion and serosa of the honey bee are homologous with the hatching spines of nonsocial bees both in location and apparent function. For both nonsocial bees and


Dipole moments of hydrocarbons are not an easy property to model with conventional 2D descriptors. A comparison of the performance of the most commonly used sets of topological descriptors is presented, each set containing descriptors derived from the regular and Detour distance matrix, Electrotopological State Indices, and the basic number of atoms of each type and bonds. Data were taken on a representative set of 35 hydrocarbon dipole moments previously reported and the classical multivariable regression analysis for establishing the models is employed.


During the last few centuries oceanic island biodiversity has been drastically modified by human-mediated activities. These changes have led to the increased homogenization of island biota and to a high number of extinctions lending support to the recognition of oceanic islands as major threatspots worldwide. Here, we investigate the impact of habitat changes on the spider and ground beetle assemblages of the native forests of Madeira (Madeira archipelago) and Terceira (Azores archipelago) and evaluate its effects on the relative contribution of rare endemics and introduced species to island biodiversity patterns. We found that the native laurel forest of Madeira supported higher species richness of spiders and ground beetles compared with Terceira, including a much larger proportion of indigenous species, particularly endemics. In Terceira, introduced species are well-represented in both terrestrial arthropod taxa and seem to thrive in native forests as shown by the analysis of species abundance distributions (SAD) and occupancy frequency distributions (OFD). Low abundance range-restricted species in Terceira are mostly introduced species dispersing from neighbouring man-made habitats while in Madeira a large number of true rare endemic species can still be found in the native laurel forest. Further, our comparative analysis shows striking differences in species richness and composition that are due to the geographical and geological particularities of the two islands, but also seem to reflect the differences in the severity of human-mediated impacts between them. The high proportion of introduced species, the virtual absence of rare native species and the finding that the SADs and OFDs of introduced species match the pattern of native species in Terceira suggest the role of man as an important driver of species diversity in oceanic islands and add evidence for an extensive and severe human-induced species loss in the native forests of Terceira. Relative to their area, islands make a disproportionately large contribution to global biodiversity but have long been severely impacted by human intervention leading several authors to consider that the present biodiversity crisis is particularly acute in island ecosystems –4. Over In recent years there has been a growing interest in the assessment of invertebrate extinction. For example, relevant information of high extinction levels on island ecosystems has been put forward for molluscs, a group of invertebrates where the presence of a shell is crucial to evaluate changes in community composition across time , 11, 12.a priori between the observed low-abundance range-restricted species and their vulnerability to extinction because this group of species may include tourists and poorly-sampled species along with the truly rare ones )The analysis of species rarity in groups of low-abundance range-restricted spiders and ground beetles from the native laurel forests of Madeira and Terceira highlighted substantial differences between the two study islands. The absence of rare native species coupled with the presence of a high number of tourists (mostly introduced species) in Terceira’s laurel forests suggests the past extirpation of populations of the most vulnerable native species. It is widely recognized that low abundance and narrow distribution are drivers that predispose species to extinction and both factors have already been associated with previous extinctions in a variety of animal and plant taxa , 79, 83.In contrast with the findings in Terceira, the potential rare species in Madeira Laurisilva are largely true rare species (14 endemic species), but pseudo-rare microhabitat specialists (only native species) are also well represented. The low presence of tourist species in Madeira Laurisilva, combined with the small number of introduced species, illustrates the favourable conservation status of these forests. Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that Madeira Laurisilva has also suffered a considerable destruction in the past which, in combination with invasive species introductions, has led to the loss of some endemic species , 76, 77.In conclusion, Madeira and the Azores have both been affected by human-mediated activities during the last few centuries which have altered the biodiversity in both islands. However, our comparative study on the spider and ground beetle assemblages of native forests in Madeira and Terceira has highlighted considerable differences in community structure and composition that mirror the differences in severity of human-induced changes between the two islands. The high proportion of introduced species, the virtual absence of rare native species and the finding that SADs and OFDs of introduced species match the pattern of native species in Terceira reinforce the role of man as an important driver of species diversity in oceanic islands, and provide additional evidence of the extensive and severe human-induced loss of the indigenous diversity of Terceira native forests that cannot be fully understood based on the current knowledge on species extinctions. The performance of comparative studies on the community structure and composition of island arthropods addressing the relative contribution of true rare endemics and introduced species to island biodiversity patterns can be very useful to evaluate the extent of species loss because “to neglect such extinctions is to ignore the majority of species that are or were in need of conservation” .S1 Table(DOC)Click here for additional data file.S2 Table(DOC)Click here for additional data file.


Markov and Amasheh). The authors provide a detailed description of the electrophysiological studies that yield the knowledge around the transmesothelial permeability and the set of studies on paracellular permeability that provide significant evidence of tight junction switch in the inflamed human pleural mesothelium. During inflammation a protein expression change from sealing to pore forming claudins in the tight junctions occurs, a finding that could be prone to therapeutic intervention. In the same context an experimental study demonstrated the calcium dependent effects of increased paracellular permeability induced by bradykinin, histamine and thrombin in rat primary mesothelial monolayers (Kuwahara). This study provides further evidence of paracellular permeability changes due to the effects of inflammation related molecules attributable to reorganization of mesothelial cell F-actin cytoskeleton and increased actin polymerization. These aspects of pleural membrane permeability changes can supplement the understanding of the pathophysiology of pleural effusion dynamics.The Research Topic “Mesothelial Physiology and Pathophysiology” aimed at providing a forum for investigations conducted in all fields of serosal membranes research. The physiology and pathophysiology of mesothelial cells and membranes is a research field with a growing community given that many of the clinical entities that involve serosal contribution, require the detailed understanding of the underlying biological processes in order to provide effective treatments. The research production volume in the field of mesothelial physiology and pathophysiology is a function of the frequency of the clinical entities that they are involved into. Thus, the most active area is pleural research followed by peritoneal and lastly pericardial. Pleural effusions are a common entity that involves the abnormal accumulation of pleural fluid in the pleural cavity due to abnormal turnover, and the underlying diseases stem from congestive heart failure to infectious lung diseases and several intra- and extra- thoracic malignancies . This process renders new roles to pleural mesothelial cells in the context of lung injury and repair mechanisms that can contribute to the development of lung mesenchymal pathologies such as interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. The authors also focus on the therapeutic potential of modulation pleural mesothelial activation and thus parenchymal disease progression. From a different angle the pleural mesothelium is sensitive to the effects of environmental or engineered nanoparticles that through inhalation reach the pleural cavity by disrupting the lung parenchyma and transmigration or in the case of smaller particles through the circulation. A well characterized such pathology is the malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) due to asbestos fibers exposure. Currently there is increasing evidence that engineered nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can cause a similar pleural pathology. Lohcharoenkal et al. demonstrated that single-walled CNTs induced neoplastic-like transformation in human mesothelial cells after prolonged exposure. The observed effects were due to H-Ras upregulation and ERK1/2 activation that led to increased expression of cortactin, a protein implicated in cell motility and neoplastic development, and thus a more aggressive transformation phenotype . In another experimental study Ady et al. investigated the role of Tunneling Nanotubes (TnTs) in MPM cell communication . The authors in very well designed studies demonstrated TnT occurrence in ex vivo preparations of MPM patient tumor tissues as well as in 2D and 3D MPM cell cultures. Furthermore they provided some interesting preclinical evidence of decreased tumor growth and survival of immunodeficient mice implanted with TnT-primed human MPM cells.A Perspective on the pleural mesothelium in development and disease provided an overview on the mesothelial contribution of lung development and also highlighted the ability of mesothelial cells to differentiate into several types of cells depending on the underlying stimuli . The research in the peritoneal mesothelium has stemmed from questions that have risen due to its use as a dialyzing membrane during the Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) modality in End Stage Renal Disease patients. In such a modality the peritoneal membrane is in a chronic state of inflammation caused by the PD fluids that are daily introduced in the peritoneal cavity. The authors discuss the influence of several insults to the mesothelial cells that are due to the effects of PD fluids, such as increased oxidative stress or increased osmotic stress, that can lead to differences in the mesothelial cells propensity to exhibit intercellular communication via TnTs and highlight the open questions in the field of PD and mesothelial cells TnTs. Pertinent to this is also the Review article of Moinuddin et al., regarding a severe form of peritoneal related disease which is the Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis (EPS). The authors provide a global presentation of EPS in terms of etiology, risk factors, diagnosis and the underlying pathophysiology along with all the available treatment and prevention options. Another manuscript regarding PD was a Mini Review on the available in vivo and ex vivo animal models for the study of PD effects on the peritoneal mesothelial membrane . Nikitidou et al. critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each model and present the parameters studied in each one concluding in the need for establishment of standardized protocols in order to yield clinically relevant and applicable results.TnTs between peritoneal mesothelial cells in physiological and pathophysiological conditions in the peritoneal cavity has also been the theme of a Mini Review article . The authors provide detailed information on the anatomy and histology of the pericardium, the composition of the pericardial fluid and the physiology underlying its dynamic turnover in the pericardial cavity.Pericardium is the most neglected research field of mesothelial membranes. A Mini Review that filled an important gap in the literature was centered on the physiology of pericardial fluid production and drainage (The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and approved it for publication.The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper :The IMU consists of three gyros and three accelerometers. The gyro provides change of Euler angles, while the accelerometers give the specific force. This model is based on the inertial measurement system error modeling method presented by Jonathan Kelly  and integrates the modified Rodrigues parameters kinematic equation. We obtained the IMU measuring equations as follows:The ICP algorithm is utilized to estimation the LiDAR-IMU time delay and relative orientation. At the beginning, the transforms between the LiDAR-IMU orientation curves are computed through iteratively selecting Step I: Registration Rules.The ICP algorithm operates by iteratively selecting the closest point between the IMU orientation curve and the LiDAR measurement point, and the concept of ICP proximity requires a suitable distance measurement. The minimum value of distance function can be computed asStep II: Nonlinear Iterative Registration Rules.We can getBy using Lagrange multipliers and incorporating the constraints The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused to the readers by these changes.


Pelvic Schwannoma is an extremely rare event. Laparoscopic approach for radical resection on pelvic region already has been described in the literature. However, with better image quality provided by optic in the laparoscopy we can assure an improvement in this kind of approach for tumor resection. Our goal is to describe and evaluate the results of one laparoscopic resection of presacral and obturator fossa tumor. We present a case of a 60-year-old man with progressive congestion in the right inferior member and CT scan revealing a mass with miscellaneous content located behind of the right iliac vessels and right obturator nerve. Exploratory transperitoneal laparoscopy was indicated. During laparoscopy it was possible to see the mass between the spermatic cord and external iliac artery. We made the identification and preservation of iliac vessels and obturator nerve. Resection of the tumor was performed carefully, allowing the safe removal of the specimen with complete preservation of the iliac vessels and obturator nerve. Mean operative time of 150 minutes. No perioperative complications occurred. Two days of hospital stay. Posterior histopathological exam confirmed that the mass was a Schwannoma. The maximization of the image in the laparoscopic surgery offers dexterity and capacity of dissection required for complex mass dissection on pelvic region.


Bilateral mandibular tooth transposition is a relatively rare dental anomaly caused by distal migration of the mandibular lateral incisors and can be detected in the early mixed dentition by radiographic examination. Early diagnosis and interceptive intervention may reduce the risk of possible transposition between the mandibular canine and lateral incisor. This report illustrates the orthodontic management of bilateral mandibular canine-lateral incisor transposition. Correct positioning of the affected teeth was achieved on the left side while teeth on the right side were aligned in their transposed position. It demonstrates the outcome of good alignment of the teeth in the dental arch.  A tooth may deviate from its normal path of eruption usually as a result of severe crowding or presence of an obstacle such as a supernumerary tooth or an odontoma. Such eruption deviation can occur with no apparent local or systemic cause, resulting in ectopic eruption of the tooth in a place normally occupied by another permanent tooth. The most frequently ectopically erupted tooth is the mandibular permanent lateral incisor which may occur unilaterally and bilaterally –4. A stuEarly diagnosis of a disturbed eruption of a mandibular permanent lateral incisor can be made in young children during the early mixed dentition at the age of 6–8 years, though some variation in timing of eruption of that tooth has been reported .Tooth transposition is defined as an interchange in position of two adjacent permanent teeth in the same quadrant of the dental arch or eruption of a tooth in a place normally occupied by another tooth . It is aTransposition in the mandible is relatively rare and occurs between the canine and lateral incisor and is usually unilateral. Only few cases of bilateral transposition of a canine and lateral incisor in the mandible have been reported , 14. TheThe etiology of transposition is unknown and the reason why a tooth deviates from its normal path of eruption is still obscure. Several theories have been suggested such as genetic factors , 21, intTooth transposition has been reported to be associated with other dental anomalies such as missing teeth, small or peg-shaped maxillary lateral incisors, retained deciduous mandibular lateral incisors and canines, rotations and malposition of adjacent teeth, and root dilacerations and impactions .The literature on early detection and treatment procedures for this abnormality is relatively sparse. The purpose of this article is primarily to emphasize early diagnosis and detection of bilateral mandibular tooth transposition and describe its orthodontic management and outcome.The early mixed dentition period, between 6 and 8 years, is the best time for assessing the development and path of eruption of the mandibular permanent lateral incisors. These age group children are usually first examined by a pediatric or general dentist who should evaluate both the dental health condition and the dental development. Using a panoramic radiograph is very useful for early diagnosis of the position and path of eruption of the unerupted teeth.A routine panoramic radiograph of a 6-year-old boy, taken at the Pedodontic Department of Tel Aviv University School of Dental Medicine, demonstrated normal dental position and development of the mandibular permanent lateral incisors, which are expected to erupt into their proper position in the arch uneventfully . SurprisThe primary objectives were to derotate the mandibular permanent lateral incisors and upright and reposition them to their normal position next to the central incisors. This will allow the canines and first premolars to erupt into their normal place and avoid the possible development of transposition between the canines and lateral incisors.The early diagnosis is of crucial importance for establishing a correct treatment planning. The retained deciduous lateral incisors and canines were immediately removed at the age of 8 years . EdgewisPeriodic radiographs taken during treatment showed that the right permanent canine was already erupting between the central and lateral incisors, while the left canine and lateral incisor were almost overlapping each other . It woulThe developing mandibular permanent lateral incisor normally resorbs the root of the deciduous tooth during the process of eruption into the oral cavity. It is still unclear what causes a tooth to deviate from its normal path of eruption and erupt ectopically. The presence of an obstacle such as a supernumerary tooth or an odontoma could be a factor causing the deflection and migration of a tooth. Several theories have been suggested as etiological factors to explain why a tooth deviates from its normal path of eruption to become transposed: interchange in position of the anlage at the very early stage of tooth development , geneticIt is not yet clear whether the retained deciduous tooth is the cause or the result of the displacement and ectopic eruption of its successor.Treatment considerations for transposed teeth include repositioning them in their normal place in the dental arch, maintaining them in their transposed position, or extracting one of the transposed teeth.In managing treatment for mandibular tooth transposition several factors should be considered such as the amount of distally displaced lateral incisor and the intrabony position of the permanent canine. Early detection of the abnormal eruption path of the lateral incisor allows for early intervention by uprighting and moving the lateral incisor to its normal place in the arch prior to the eruption of the canine into transposition with the lateral incisor. This was successfully achieved in our presented case only on the left side. On the contralateral side, however, the position of the canine was already between the central and lateral incisors and to avoid a possible risk of root resorption it was allowed to erupt into complete transposition with the lateral incisor. The canine's cusp tip was reshaped to resemble a lateral incisor.Early detection of a distally displaced mandibular permanent lateral incisor at the early mixed dentition, at the age of 6–8 years, and timely interceptive intervention may reduce the risk of tooth transposition in the mandible and avoid complex orthodontic therapy. The early orthodontic management and treatment outcome of mandibular bilateral canine-lateral incisor transposition have been described.


There is an error in the caption of Table 2. Specifically, the descriptions of the results for Sensitivity and Specificity are switched (sensitivity linked to non-fishing detection instead of fishing detection and vice versa for specificity). Please see the corrected


Parents of disabled children often face the question whether or not to keep the child at home or to place them. The choice between the two alternatives resides with the parents and various factors influence their decision. Several researchers have identified these factors, which include child-related parameters, family and parental attitudes, the influence of the social environment, and the external assistance provided to the family. In a pilot study, we attempted to isolate the main factors involved in the parental decision either to keep the child at home or place the child by examining a sample comprised of 50 parents of children suffering severe intellectual disability studying in a special education school and 48 parents of adults with intellectual disability working in sheltered workshops. Each parent filled out a questionnaire used in a study in the United States and results of the research indicated parental-related factors as the dominant factors that delayed the placement of their child in residential care; guilt feelings were the main factor.


The potential oncogenic effect of some heavy metals in people occupationally and non-occupationally exposed to such heavy metals is already well demonstrated. This study seeks to clarify the potential role of these heavy metals in the living environment, in this case in non-occupational multifactorial aetiology of malignancies in the inhabitants of areas with increased prevalent environmental levels of heavy metals.Using a multidisciplinary approach throughout a complex epidemiological study, we investigated the potential oncogenic role of non-occupational environmental exposure to some heavy metals  in populations living in areas with different environmental levels (high vs. low) of the above-mentioned heavy metals. The exposures were evaluated by identifying the exposed populations, the critical elements of the ecosystems, and as according to the means of identifying the types of exposure. The results were interpreted both epidemiologically  and by using a GIS approach, which enabled indirect surveillance of oncogenic risks in each population.2χ test (p < 0.05)]. The GIS approach enables indirect surveillance of oncogenic risk in populations.The exposure to the investigated heavy metals provides significant risk factors of cancer in exposed populations, in both urban and rural areas [The role of non-occupational environmental exposure to some heavy metals in daily life is among the more significant oncogenic risk factors in exposed populations. The statistically significant associations between environmental exposure to such heavy metals and frequency of neoplasia in exposed populations become obvious when demonstrated on maps using the GIS system. Environmental surveillance of heavy metals pollution using GIS should be identified as an important element of surveillance, early detection, and control of neoplastic risks in populations, at the level of a single locality, but even on a wider geographical scale. The role of chronic exposure to heavy metals in non-occupationally exposed populations is less clear. This paper presents some outcomes of a three-year study of this topic, in two counties in North-Western Romania, on randomly selected representative samples of exposed and non-exposed subjects from within the general population. The level of heavy metals in that environment were studied cross-sectionally , and the results were compared with historical results from similar studies performed during the previous three decades by the same laboratories. Biological tests were performed in order to establish the impact on peoplès health of environmental exposure to heavy metals. All tests were finally correlated with the health status of the populations of the two regions. The preliminary results presented in this paper show significant differences to the extent of non-occupational exposure to heavy metals of environmental origin in the two selected areas.2.In the frame of the multifactorial causality of cancers, using a multidisciplinary approach through a complex epidemiological study, we investigated the potential oncogenic role of non-occupational environmental exposure to some heavy metals, in population living in areas with different prevalent environmental levels (high vs. low) of heavy metals. In other words, this study seeks to clarify the potential role of such heavy metals in the living environment in the context of non-occupational multifactorial aetiology of malignancies in areas with increased environmental levels of heavy metals.The study was performed during the period 2006–2008 in the North-Western part of Romania, covering a geographical area containing naturally existing high levels of heavy metals (Maramures County) in its environment, to be compared with a control area having much lower naturally existing levels of heavy metals as pollution (Cluj County). The levels of heavy metal ambient pollution and their correlation with the incidence of malignancies were analysed in exposed humans living in the polluted study area (Maramures County), as compared to the results obtained in the control less polluted area (Cluj County). We analysed as the different potential biomarkers the levels of chrome (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) in soil, drinking water, and food, as environmental elements. The results were correlated and interpreted using the GIS mapping method.In this paper, we focused on the following objectives:Evaluation of exposure to selected heavy metals in urban and rural populations in designated areas;Evaluation of the potential use of GIS as a surveillance tool to estimate the impact of environmental factors on the health status of populations.Levels of exposure could be calculated based on identification of the exposed populations, of the critical elements of ecosystem, and as according to the ways of identifying the means of exposure.For data collection we used a questionnaire . The questionnaires were completed, not by the subjects interviewed, but by specialists in our institution who had been trained to implement these questionnaires. Questionnaires were originally validated on a sample of subjects. The research and questionnaire used were approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy. The questionnaires were used only for subjects who had signed an informed consent form.The evaluation of risks of cancer incidence associated to chronic non-occupational exposure at low levels to heavy metals, individually or in combinations, involved the following objectives:Establishing the history of pollution in the areas of interest.Determination of the concentration of heavy metals  in soil, drinking water, food and biological samples obtained from the exposed subjects living in the area studied, and from the control subjects unexposed to heavy metal pollution.Correlating the available epidemiological, environmental and geographical data, stored in databases.The evaluation of the role that chronic exposure to heavy metals in food and drinking water might have had in populations exposed or unexposed to low levels of these metals, and with /without malignancies, was performed by monitoring the intake of heavy metals in food and water, as determined by laboratory analysis of local samples of food and drinking water (data to be published). All cases of malignancies reported to/by public health authorities were included, not making any specific relationship between any given heavy metal and any particular neoplasia.3.The results were interpreted both epidemiologically  and using the GIS approach. GIS maps were constructed for both investigated areas, combining both medical and environmental investigated parameters, allowing indirectly the surveillance of oncogenic risk in those populations.There are naturally-occurring higher levels of the investigated microelements in the environment surrounding Baia Mare  area than can be found in Cluj County, as shown in the following GIS maps –7.The prevalence of cancers in the inhabitants of the two areas is higher in the heavier polluted area (Maramureş county) , 9, 10.2χ test proved (p < 0.05) that exposure to heavy metals is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer in exposed populations, both in urban and rural areas.The The RISCANSIM software that has been created (by TC) allows the user to create personal scenarios of heavy metals exposure. The user has the possibility to set the concentration of different heavy metals, and the application can estimate the prevalence of cancers and of the genetic disorders for the given scenario.4.The oncogenic effects of environmental non-occupational exposure to heavy metals in human populations are well-known and accepted The major objectives to be considered when evaluating the exposure to in-taking pollutants were:the source of investigated chemical agent;means of exposure;measuring / estimating concentrations and duration of exposure;defining the exposed population;the integral analysis of exposure.The existing industrial sources of pollution (in Maramures County) have a certain influence on the depreciation of the quality of the environment (soil included). The appropriate and accurate evaluation of this phenomenon could be made only if the natural background geochemical composition of the soil in the area is known. The concentrations of available metals in soil constitute mainly the toxic fraction (having influence on plants and underground waters). The maximal values accepted for heavy metals in soil refer exclusively to total concentrations and vary from country to country.We did not intend to assess individually the relationship of each heavy metal with cancer incidence, on account of the simultaneous presence and effects of other non-occupational exposures which the general population experiences in each area. The relationship between the levels of environmental pollution and oncogenic risks of exposed populations are well known, even if some opinions are divergent 5.Despite the multifactorial etiological factors influencing the incidence of oncological conditions, the role of heavy metals in the non-occupational environment aspects of our daily lives appears to be important but – unfortunately – is insufficiently studied and understood.Chronic exposure to some heavy metals is one of the relevant oncogenic risk factors in exposed populations.Statistical significant associations between environmental exposure to selected heavy metals and incidence of neoplasia in exposed populations has been clearly demonstrated, and could be represented on maps using GIS systems.The environmental surveillance of heavy metals pollution using GIS could be an important element in the surveillance, early detection, and control of neoplastic risks in populations, including when applied more generally than when applied only in one locality.A high priority must be a determination to enlarge the spectrum of health-related variables to be used as indicators for environmental factors .New regulations would have to include maximal admitted values for the concentration of available metals in soil that represent the potential toxic fraction for plants which might enter the food chain.


New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Worldview has a stronger standing among the studied Chinese farmers than the Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP) Worldview.Failure to curb water pollution in China brings to the fore the issue of environmental values and attitudes among Chinese farmers. Applying the New Ecological Paradigm Scale this study finds that the pro-environmental value of  The state of the Chinese environment has in recent decades been painted in bleak colours and assessed to be at the brink of collapse . Seriouspolicy for the environment …. requires a change in thinking and a change in attitudes. It requires environmental values at the heart of environmental policy’ .


The high negative bias of a sample in a scanning electron microscope constitutes the “cathode lens” with a strong electric field just above the sample surface. This mode offers a convenient tool for controlling the landing energy of electrons down to units or even fractions of electronvolts with only slight readjustments of the column. Moreover, the field accelerates and collimates the signal electrons to earthed detectors above and below the sample, thereby assuring high collection efficiency and high amplification of the image signal. One important feature is the ability to acquire the complete emission of the backscattered electrons, including those emitted at high angles with respect to the surface normal. The cathode lens aberrations are proportional to the landing energy of electrons so the spot size becomes nearly constant throughout the full energy scale. At low energies and with their complete angular distribution acquired, the backscattered electron images offer enhanced information about crystalline and electronic structures thanks to contrast mechanisms that are otherwise unavailable. Examples from various areas of materials science are presented. The idea of immersing the sample under observation in a strong electric field by means of electrons is one of oldest principles appearing in the development of electron microscopy. By the early 1930s, the so-called immersion objective lens was described  showed aThe production and employment of emission electron microscopes began in the early 1960s in Germany . SurfaceAdvantages of reducing the landing energy of the focused primary electron beam in the SEM were recognized at the very beginnings of the development of this kind of instrumentation.  Thei.e., the electronic energy band structure characteristic for a particular crystal system and its orientation with respect to the incident electron beam.At low energies, the crystalline information is enhanced, as for example, the grain contrast in polycrystals. The reasons for this phenomenon include the dependence of the generation and absorption of SE as well as of electron backscattering on crystal orientation, together with the increased influence of surface layers such as oxides also having their thickness orientation dependent. Angular variations in the backscattered electron (BSE) yield from crystals have been shown to dominate over those of the SE . As we wIn addition to the possibility of arbitrarily reducing the landing energy of electrons, the above-sample electric field is capable of collimating toward the optical axis the complete emission of BSE. Traditionally, the BSE emission has been acquired with a coaxial detector placed below the objective lens and held on ground potential. In this case the straight trajectories of the BSE impinge on the detector within a cone limited up to, say, a polar angle of 45° with respect to the optical axis, leaving the high-angle BSE unutilized. Experience has shown the high-angle BSE bearing significantly enhanced crystallographic information; this effect has been repeatedly verified, although clear explanation is still lacking. When immersing the sample in a strong electric field, we can easily control acquisition of the high-angle BSE already at only moderately reduced landing energy of electrons.i.e., the diffraction contrast . Th. Th50]. in-situ treatment was performed so that very thin oxide and hydrocarbon layers may form on surfaces before their loading in UHV and participate on phenomena observed.i.e., the TEM at units of keV [Examination of free standing thin films with transmitted electrons is traditionally performed with the directly imaging transmission electron microscope (TEM) by means of fast electrons. Typical energies of the TEM varied during the history from tens of keV up to units of MeV and then back to some 200 to 400 keV as the most frequent values at present. Use of very high energies was motivated with efforts to improve resolution by reducing the diffraction aberration. With onset of the Computer-aided Design (CAD) programs for design of lenses and columns that provided lower geometrical aberrations, the MeV range was abandoned, while later the aberration correctors made possible the recent TEM solutions operated in tens of keV. On the other hand, efforts to increase the image contrast led to the opposite extreme, s of keV .Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) as the traditional counterpart to the TEM is performed with relatively rare dedicated instruments, aberration corrected and reaching resolution in tens of pm ,53, and The inelastic mean free path (IMFP) of electrons in solids exhibits more or less uniform energy dependence with a global minimum falling below 1 nm at about 50 eV . Below tPilot experiments with the VLESTEM mode  revealedThe VLESTEM method is in its initial phase so only few preliminary results are available but prospects include the possibilities of detailed examination of any 2D crystals. Implementation of multiple channel detectors with separation both in polar and azimuthal angles is desirable.Tuning the information depth by means of the landing energy of electrons may be considered the most straightforward, if not trivial application of the SLEEM method. However, very thin surface layers in units and tens of nm in thickness stop to be fully transparent and hence start contributing to the image signal only at energies well below 1 keV that are usually not available in conventional SEM devices without any kind of beam deceleration. For this reason, we briefly mention this family of samples, illustrated in When immersing the sample in a scanning electron microscope in strong electric field, we faced certain restrictions regarding the sample shape and surface treatment but we gained a totally free choice of the landing energy of electrons and, as a side effect, the possibility of complete acquisition of the backscattered electrons at all energies from units of keV to fractions of eV. These features offer a broad range of enhanced or improved contrast mechanisms and even new contrast mechanisms not activated in traditional instruments. Recently the major producers of electron microscopes have been including in their products the possibility of biasing the sample in the kV range so instrumentation is available for the above described imaging method. Thus, precautions have been made to accelerate a so far very slow accumulation of data collected with the SLEEM method.