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Objective Birth outcomes of women with anorexia nervosa are poorly understood. We hypothesized that hospitalization for anorexia nervosa before or during pregnancy is associated with an elevated risk of adverse maternal and infant birth outcomes. Method We performed a retrospective cohort study of 2,134,945 pregnancies in Quebec, Canada, from 1989 to 2016. The main exposure measure was anorexia nervosa requiring hospital treatment before or during pregnancy. Outcome measures included stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, small-for-gestational age birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, and other pregnancy disorders. We computed risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between anorexia nervosa and birth outcomes adjusted for maternal characteristics. Results Compared with no hospitalization, anorexia nervosa hospitalization was associated with 1.99 times the risk of stillbirth (95% CI 1.20-3.30), 1.32 times the risk of preterm birth (95% CI 1.13-1.55), 1.69 times the risk of low birth weight (95% CI 1.44-1.99), and 1.52 times the risk of small-for-gestational age birth (95% CI 1.35-1.72). The associations with low birth weight and small-for-gestational age birth were more prominent in women hospitalized for anorexia nervosa during pregnancy or within 2 years of delivery. Hospitalization for anorexia nervosa was associated with certain maternal outcomes, including precipitate labor, acute liver failure, and admission to an intensive care unit. Discussion Hospitalization for anorexia nervosa before or during pregnancy is associated with adverse infant and maternal outcomes. Infants are primarily at risk of stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, and small-for-gestational age birth.

Antibody-mediated diseases affect more than 10% of the human population. For most, no cure is available, particularly when the pathogenic antibodies are secreted by long-lived plasma cells resistant to conventional immunosuppressive therapies. Current therapeutic approaches target not only the plasma cells that secrete pathogenic antibodies, but also those providing protective antibodies. Here, in a murine model bearing long-lived plasma cells secreting anti-OVA and -chicken gamma globulin (CGG) antibodies, we describe the first-time use of an antigen-antibody (OVA/anti-CD138 antibody) conjugate for in vivo labeling and selective ablation of plasma cells that secrete antibodies specific for the antigen OVA. The selective depletion also led to a stable reduction of the corresponding serum anti-OVA antibody levels. In contrast, CGG-specific plasma cells and circulating anti-CGG antibody levels remained unchanged. The method described here should enable the development of unique causative treatment strategies for established antibody-mediated diseases sparing humoral immunity.

The unprecedented global biodiversity loss has massive implications for the capacity of ecosystems to maintain functions critical to human well-being, urgently calling for rapid, scalable, and reproducible strategies for biodiversity monitoring, particularly in threatened ecosystems with difficult field access such as wetlands. Remote sensing indicators of spectral variability and greenness may predict the diversity of plant communities based on their optical diversity; however, most evidence is based on narrowband spectral data or terrestrial ecosystems. We investigate how spectral greenness and heterogeneity from publicly available broadband multi-spectral Landsat satellite imagery explain variation in vegetation diversity across different wetland types, ecoregions, and disturbance levels using 1,138 sites surveyed by U.S. EPA's National Wetland Condition Assessment. We found positive correlations of plant species richness and diversity with indicators of annual maximum spectral greenness and its spatial heterogeneity, explaining up to 43% variation within the global sample, 48% within wetland types or ecoregions, and up to 61% with abiotic covariates. The combined effect of spectral greenness and heterogeneity was stronger than the best-performing model using climatic, topographic, and edaphic factors alone. When compared among major U.S. watersheds and individual states, the fit of diversity-greenness models increased when more wetland types were included within the corresponding region's boundaries, up to 61% at the watershed and 77% at the state level, respectively, for diversity models and up to 73% and 80%, respectively, for richness models. Model outliers were characterized by a significantly greater diversity of nonnative species (P < 0.0001), suggesting that changes in model performance and greenness distributions could be used as indicators of shifts in plant community composition, particularly in tidal wetlands making the majority of outliers with significantly lower than predicted diversity. This study represents a first-time national-scale effort to use publicly available remote sensing, climatic, and topographic data to predict plant diversity in wetlands, which tend to be understudied compared to terrestrial ecosystems despite being among the most stressed ecosystems on Earth. Our study suggests that multi-temporal broadband satellite imagery could provide a low-cost assessment of regional and national wetland biodiversity for prioritization of conservation efforts and early detection of biodiversity loss.

A series of naturally occurring and semisynthetic O-geranyl cinnamic acids and their conjugates with the iNOS inhibitor Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester have been synthesized and evaluated for their effects on expressions of COX-2 and iNOS, antioxidant activity, and PGE2 and NO production in LPS-stimulated U937 mononuclear cells. All adducts showed little or no effect on iNOS functionality in terms of NO release. A much more significant activity has been recorded on PGE2 biosynthesis for which the sample substituted with a -NO2 group in position 3 of the aromatic ring revealed an effect in the nM range both for the L-NAME conjugated product and the parent compound (IC50=0.71 μM and 0.1 μM respectively). Preliminary docking studies have been carried out to clarify the mechanism of COX-2 inhibition, and they suggest that the geranyloxy side chain is likely to play an important role for the observed activity and that structural modifications are able to tune such effects.

School websites are providing education settings with the opportunity to transform and enhance the schooling experience. However, the perceived importance of school websites and the resources invested in developing and maintaining them varies considerably across settings. There is a need to better understand what constitutes an effective website that provides a school with an avenue for delivering innovation in teaching and learning, and complements how a school operates. This study reviewed school websites, specifically how 30 south Australian schools used their website as a teaching learning portal, to support administrative operations and as a marketing platform. Three key questions framed the research. First, what variables should be examined to establish how schools are using their website. Second, what constitutes an engaging and useful school website, and finally what development framework can be devised to assist schools to map their website's strengths and areas requiring further development. The evaluation criteria addressed website design, purpose, content and technology integration. Indicators of progressive and emergent school websites were identified through a deductive content analysis of the websites, which informed a proposed website development framework. The framework and suggested recommendations promote a holistic approach when developing a website to accurately portray a school's identity and effectively address stakeholders' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background One of the most commonly used hypnotics is propofol. Several studies performed in cardiac surgery suggested an increased mortality in patients receiving a propofol-based total intravenous anaesthesia. Furthermore, the possibility of infections and the ‘propofol syndrome’ have suggested that propofol might be dangerous. Nonetheless, propofol is widely used in different settings because of its characteristics: fast induction, rapid elimination, short duration of action, smooth recovery from anaesthesia, few adverse effects, no teratogenic effects, characteristics that have undoubtedly contributed to its popularity. The effect of propofol on survival is unknown. We decided to carry out a meta-analysis of all randomized controlled studies ever performed on propofol vs. any comparator in any clinical setting. Methods Pertinent studies were independently searched in BioMedCentral, PubMed, Embase, Clinicaltrial.gov, and Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials by expert investigators. The following inclusion criteria were used: random allocation to treatment, comparison between propofol and any comparator in any clinical setting. Results One hundred thirty-three studies randomizing 14,516 patients were included. No differences in mortality between patients receiving propofol [349/6957 (5.0%)] vs. any comparator [340/7559 (4.5%)] were observed in the overall population [risk ratio = 1.05, 95% confidence interval (0.93 to 1.18), P = 0.5] and in several sub-analyses. Conclusion Inspite of theoretical concerns, propofol has no detrimental effect on survival according to the largest meta-analysis of randomized trials ever performed on hypnotic drug.

Coumarins are a well-known class of natural occurring and semi-synthetic products with reported important and effective pharmacological activities. In this Letter an improved method for the chemical synthesis of such compounds is described. Coumarins have been obtained in good to excellent yields under microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions in a short time from differently substituted phenols and propiolic acids used as starting materials in the presence of Yb(OTf) 3 hydrate 10% mol as the catalyst.

To optimize HPV vaccination implementation at the population-level in China, data are needed on age-specific HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11 prevalence. This cross-sectional, population-based study evaluated the age- and type-specific HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11 prevalence of DNA and serum antibodies among women in China. From July 2006 to April 2007, 17 to 54-year-old women from three rural provinces (Xinjiang, Shanxi, and Henan) and two cities (Beijing and Shanghai) provided cervical exfoliated cells for HPV DNA and liquid-based cervical cytology (SurePath). High and low-risk HPV types were detected with HC-II (Qiagen), with genotyping of HPV-positive samples using Linear Array (Roche). HPV 16, 18, 6, and 11 serum antibodies were detected using a Luminex-based, competitive immunoassay (Merck and Co). A total of 4,206 women with DNA and serum antibody results were included. HPV 16 DNA prevalence peaked in women aged 30–34 (4.2%) and 45–49 years (3.8%), while HPV 18 DNA prevalence peaked at ages 40–44 years (1.3%). Most women were dually DNA and serum antibody negative: HPV 16 (92.2%), 18 (97.2%), HPV 16 & 18 (90.2%), 6 (92.0%), 11 (96.6%), 6 & 11(89.9%), and HPV 16, 18, 6, & 11 (82.5%). Future national HPV vaccination programs in China should target younger women due to increased exposure to HPV types 16, 18, 6 and 11 with age. Cumulative exposure of HPV may be underreported in this population as cross-sectional data do not accurately reflect exposure to HPV infections over time.

Non-technical summary The endothelium is a thin layer of cells lining the interior surface of the entire circulatory system. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the endothelium, as they are recruited from the bone marrow to sites of endothelial injury where they contribute to blood vessel formation and repair. The factors regulating EPC mobilization and trafficking remain incompletely understood. We evaluated the time-course effects of a single 4 h bout of severe hypoxic breathing (simulating 4100 m altitude) followed by 4 h restoration in room air. We show that hypoxia alone induces a rapid disappearance of EPCs from blood, probably sustained by a prompt cell marginalization followed by a late increase in EPC apoptosis. These observations may broaden our understanding of the mechanisms operated by EPCs to maintain endothelial homeostasis and may help to elucidate the potential role of EPCs in regenerative medicine.

Background Quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV types 6/11/16/18) L1 VLP vaccine is highly effective in preventing HPV 6/11/16/18-related cervical and external genital disease. Herein, we evaluated the impact of the quadrivalent HPV 6/11/16/18 L1 VLP vaccine on prevention of HPV-associated cervico-genital lesions in a broad population of sexually active European women. Methods Female subjects (N = 9265) aged 16-24 with four or fewer lifetime sexual partners were enrolled and randomized to quadrivalent HPV vaccine or placebo. Subjects underwent cervicovaginal sampling for HPV DNA detection. Papanicolaou testing and anti-HPV 6/11/16/18 serology testing was also performed. Results Vaccine efficacy against lesions representing immediate cervical cancer precursors (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 or adenocarcinoma in situ) related to HPV 6/11/16/18 in the per-protocol population was 100.0%[95% confidence interval (95% CI), 89.8-100.0]. Efficacy against external genital lesions (vulvar or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia, condyloma, vulvar or vaginal cancer) related to vaccine HPV types in the per-protocol European population was 99.0% (95% CI, 94.4-100.0). Conclusion These data demonstrate that quadrivalent HPV 6/11/16/18 vaccination programs in 16- to 24-year-old European women can be beneficial. NCT0009252, NCT00092534, NCT00092495. (Less)

The prevalence of HPV infection in Latin America is among the highest in the world. A quadrivalent (types 6/11/16/18) human papillomavirus L1 virus-like-particle vaccine has been shown to be 95-100% effective in preventing HPV 6/11/16/18-related cervical and genital disease in women naive to vaccine HPV types. A total of 6,004 female subjects aged 9-24 were recruited from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Peru. Subjects were randomized to immunization with intramuscular (deltoid) injections of HPV vaccine or placebo at enrollment (day 1), month 2 and month 6. Among vaccinated subjects in the per-protocol population from Latin America, quadrivalent HPV vaccine was 92.8 and 100% effective in preventing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and external genital lesions related to vaccine HPV types, respectively. These data support vaccination of adolescents and young adults in the region, which is expected to greatly reduce the burden of cervical and genital cancers, precancers and genital warts.

Background: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) has been recognized as a disabling condition with asignificant impact on the neurobehavioral functioning of affected individuals, including cognition,behavior, and academic functioning, but little research has been performed on targeted interventionsfor these children.Methods: A socio-cognitive habilitative program focused on improving behavior and mathfunctioning in children 3 to 10 years of age (n561) was developed and evaluated. The interventionprovided parental instruction on FAS, advocacy, and behavioral regulation via workshops andinteractive math tutoring with children. All families received parental instruction and were then ran-domly assigned to either the math instruction or standard psychoeducational care groups.Results: Satisfaction with workshops was very high, with over 90% agreeing that trainers wereknowledgeable and materials easy to understand and helpful. Significant gains in knowledge werefound for information provided in the instructional groups. At posttesting, caregivers reported fewerproblem behaviors on the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, Internalizing Problem Behavior,Externalizing Problem Behavior, and Total Problem Behavior summary scales. After 5 months, bothgroups of children demonstrated gains in math knowledge but significantly higher gains were foundin the group receiving direct math instruction. The math treatment group was also more likely todemonstrate a gain of over 1 standard deviation on any of the 4 math outcome measures used.Conclusions: These findings suggest that parents of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders(FAS(D)) benefitfrominstruction inunderstandingtheir child’salcohol-related neurological damageand strategies to provide positive behavioral supports and that targeted psychoeducational programsmay be able to remediate some of the math deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.Key Words: Prenatal Alcohol, Intervention, Math, Parent Training.

A simple solvent-free protocol for the condensation reaction of 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes or 2-hydroxyacetophenones with Meldrum′s acid to afford the title products in good to excellent yields is developed.

Xanthones represent a class of naturally occurring compounds with valuable and promising reported pharmacological activities. One of the main disadvantages in the use of such products is related to the difficulties in their chemical synthesis. In this Letter a new and improved method for the chemical synthesis of xanthones is described. The title compounds have been synthesized in good yields under microwave irradiation from substituted 2-hydroxybenzoic acids and phenols in the presence of Yb(OTf)3 hydrate as the catalyst.

Differences in microbial populations in the proximal and distal colon may impact apparent site-specific differences in pathology. Diet is known to alter metabolism and composition of colon microbiota, which has major implications for disease prevention and treatment. The hypothesis tested by this experiment was that consumption of dried plums would promote retention of beneficial microbiota and patterns of microbial metabolism throughout the colon, and that by doing so would reduce colon cancer incidence. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were provided either a control (CD, n=25) or plum diet (PD, 5% of calories, n=26) 3 wk before being given two injections of AOM (15 mg/kg BW) or saline, and sacrificed 8 wk later. Tissues were resected and fecal contents isolated separately from the proximal and distal colon. Irrespective of treatment, the PD increased Bacteroidetes (p