Plos One
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Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and R2* relaxation rate mapping have demonstrated increased iron deposition in the substantia nigra of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the findings in other subcortical deep gray matter nuclei are converse and the sensitivity of QSM and R2* for morphological changes and their relation to clinical measures of disease severity has so far been investigated only sparsely. ⋯ The established finding of higher R2* rates in the substantia nigra was extended by QSM showing superior sensitivity for PD-related tissue changes in nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways. QSM additionally reflected the levodopa-dosage and disease severity. These results suggest a more widespread pathologic involvement and QSM as a novel means for its investigation, more sensitive than current MRI techniques.
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Upon platelet activation, free fatty acids are released at the stage of thrombus formation, but their effects on fibrin formation are largely unexplored. Our objective was to characterize the kinetic effects of fatty acids on thrombin activity, as well as the structural and mechanical properties of the resultant fibrin clots. Thrombin activity on fibrinogen was followed by turbidimetry and detailed kinetic characterization was performed using a fluorogenic short peptide substrate. ⋯ Morphometric analysis of SEM images showed a 73% increase in the median fiber diameter in the presence of stearate and a 20% decrease in the presence of oleate. Concerning the viscoelastic parameters of the clots, storage and loss moduli, maximal viscosity and critical shear stress decreased by 32-65% in the presence of oleate or stearate, but loss tangent did not change indicating decreased rigidity, higher deformability and decreased internal resistance to shear stress. Our study provides evidence that free fatty acids (at concentrations comparable to those reported in thrombi) reduce the mechanical stability of fibrin through modulation of thrombin activity and the pattern of fibrin assembly.
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Face recognition is used to prove identity across a wide variety of settings. Despite this, research consistently shows that people are typically rather poor at matching faces to photos. Some professional groups, such as police and passport officers, have been shown to perform just as poorly as the general public on standard tests of face recognition. ⋯ Here we test four working super-recognisers from within this police force, and ask whether they are really able to perform at levels above control groups. We consistently find that the police 'super-recognisers' perform at well above normal levels on tests of unfamiliar and familiar face matching, with degraded as well as high quality images. Recruiting employees with high levels of skill in these areas, and allocating them to relevant tasks, is an efficient way to overcome some of the known difficulties associated with unfamiliar face recognition.
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Severe bacterial infections are not considered as a leading cause of death in young children in sub-Saharan Africa. The worldwide emergence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) could change the paradigm, especially in neonates who are at high risk of developing healthcare-associated infections. ⋯ Control of ESBL-E spread is an emergency in pediatric populations and could be achieved with simple cost-effective measures such as hand hygiene, proper management of excreta and better stewardship of antibiotic use, especially for empirical therapy.
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Normal displacement of the conus medullaris with unilateral and bilateral SLR has been quantified and the "principle of linear dependence" has been described. ⋯ Four relevant points emerge from the presented data: i) reciprocal movements between the spinal cord and the surrounding vertebrae are likely to occur during SLR in asymptomatic subjects, ii) conus medullaris displacement in the vertebral canal with SLR is primarily due to transmission of tensile forces through the neural tissues, iii) when tensile forces are transmitted through the neural system as in the clinical SLR, the magnitude of conus medullaris displacement prevails over the amount of bone adjustment.