Three monoclonal antibodies (Mab) specific for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were used to design a homogeneous dual-parameter immunoassay based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). One ...antibody was labeled with terbium(III) chelate, which acted as a donor, and the other two antibodies were labeled with fluorescent acceptor dyes (either Alexa Fluor (AF) 488 or Alexa Fluor 680). Due to the selection of the antibodies, sensitized emission of the AF488 could be measured only if uncomplexed, free PSA (PSA-F) was present in the sample. The amount of total PSA (PSA-T) was obtained by measuring the sensitized emission of AF680. Thus, the assay could simultaneously measure the amount of both PSA-F and PSA-T from a single sample. The lowest limits of detection with buffer calibrators were 0.74 and 0.60 ng/mL for PSA-F and PSA-T, respectively. Both of the assays were linear up to 100 ng/mL. The performance of the assay was also tested against heterogeneous single-parameter assays using spiked female plasma samples. The Pearson's correlations were 0.994 for PSA-F and 0.997 for PSA-T assays. However, due to the calibrator matrix being different from the sample matrix, the obtained concentrations with homogeneous assay, especially for PSA-F, were slightly less than with heterogeneous assays. In conclusion, it was shown that a homogeneous dual-parameter assay based on the measurement of the sensitized emission of two different acceptors in combination with a single donor can be performed. The assay was done in a single step using only one excitation wavelength and was functional within the clinically important analyte concentrations.
Aims
This study explored whether growth was poorer among very low birthweight (VLBW) infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and assessed adipokine levels as predictors of early growth.
Methods
...We studied 53 VLBW infants born in Tampere University Hospital up to 12 months of corrected age (CA). The median gestational age of the 21 infants with BPD and 32 infants without BPD was 29 weeks, and the median birthweights were 930 (635–1470) and 1185 (650–1470) grams. Growth parameters, macronutrients intake and plasma levels of adipokines were measured.
Results
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia infants were lighter than controls until 36 weeks of CA, with catch‐up growth achieved by three months of CA. Adipsin levels were lower in BPD infants at 28 days of postnatal age. High leptin levels seemed protective for low weight for height at nine months of CA. The duration of ventilator therapy predicted low weight for height, length for age and body mass index and BPD predicted low length for age at 12 months of CA.
Conclusions
Catch‐up growth in VLBW infants with BPD was achieved by three months of CA, but adipokines played a limited role in predicting growth. Shortening ventilator therapy could help growth in VLBW infants.
► Laser clad defects are 0D-pores/inclusions, 1D-clad waviness or 2D-planar defects. ► Surface pore of laser clad bar initiates fatigue cracks. ► Side edge surface pores are more critical than ...in-clad surface pores. ► Smaller notch radius and angle of as-laser clad surface raises stress significantly. ► Planar inner defects grow faster towards surface.
Fatigue cracking of laser clad cylindrical and square section bars depends upon a variety of factors. This paper presents Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the different macro stress fields generated as well as stress raisers created by laser cladding defects for four different fatigue load conditions. As important as the defect types are their locations and orientations, categorized into zero-, one- and two-dimensional defects. Pores and inclusions become critical close to surfaces. The performance of as-clad surfaces can be governed by the sharpness of surface notches and planar defects like hot cracks or lack-of-fusion (LOF) are most critical if oriented vertically, transverse to the bar axis. The combination of the macro stress field with the defect type and its position and orientation determines whether it is the most critical stress raiser. Based on calculated cases, quantitative and qualitative charts were developed as guidelines to visualize the trends of different combinations.
We investigated bone response to sol–gel-derived titania–silica coated functional intramedullary NiTi nails that applied a continuous bending force. Nails 26mm in length, either straight or with a ...radius of curvature of 28 or 15mm, were implanted in the cooled martensite form from a proximal to distal direction into the medullary cavity of the right femur in 40 Sprague–Dawley rats. Body temperature restored the austenite form, causing the curved implants to generate a bending force on the bone. The femurs were examined after 24 weeks. Bone length measurements did not reveal any bowing or shortening of the bone in the experimental groups. The results from histomorphometry demonstrated that the stronger bending force, together with sol–gel surface treatment, resulted in more bone deposition around the implant and the formation of significantly less fibrous tissue. Straight intramedullary nails, even those with a titania–silica coating, were poorly attached when compared to the implants with a curved austenite structure.
Highlights • Cell-free-DNA (cf-DNA) is regarded a marker of inflammation, cell death and degeneration in many medical conditions. • Cf-DNA was measured in 167 consecutive well-evaluated patients with ...focal epilepsy. • 74.8% of the patients had increased concentrations of cf-DNA. • Symptomatic etiology was associated with increased concentrations of cf-DNA compared to probably symptomatic etiology supporting the inflammatory nature of symptomatic focal epilepsy.
Aim
To investigate the severity of acute phase magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and severity of acute illness as risk factors for disability after recovery from encephalitis.
Method
Children ...with encephalitis (n = 98; median age 6 years 10 months, interquartile range 3 years–11 years 6 months; 59 males, 39 females) treated in Turku University Hospital during the years 1995 to 2016 were identified in this retrospective cohort study. The acute phase (<2 months of symptom onset) brain MRIs were re‐evaluated and classified based on the severity of neuroimaging finding by a neuroradiologist. Neurological outcome at discharge, at short‐term (<3 months from discharge) follow‐up, and at long‐term (>1 year from discharge) follow‐up was assessed from medical records using the Glasgow Outcome Scale.
Results
Long‐term recovery was poor in 24 of 82 (29%) children with follow‐up data. Two children died, eight had severe disability, and 14 had moderate disability. Acute phase MRI was available for re‐evaluation from 74 of 82 patients with follow‐up data. The increasing severity of MRI findings was associated with need for ventilator therapy and with poor recovery.
Interpretation
The risk for poor recovery in paediatric encephalitis is high, and it is associated with the severity of MRI findings.
What this paper adds
Poor long‐term recovery was found in 29% of children with encephalitis.
Severe disability measured by Glasgow Outcome Scale was found in 8%.
The most severe neuroimaging findings were a risk factor for severe acute illness and poor long‐term recovery.
What this paper adds
Poor long‐term recovery was found in 29% of children with encephalitis.
Severe disability measured by Glasgow Outcome Scale was found in 8%.
The most severe neuroimaging findings were a risk factor for severe acute illness and poor long‐term recovery.
Earlier studies have shown that aetiology makes a difference in the outcome of epilepsy, but there is a paucity of follow-up studies to evaluate the possibilities of achieving seizure freedom in ...initially refractory epilepsy.
We evaluated the cause of epilepsy based on high-resolution brain MRI and patient history in 119 consecutive thoroughly examined adult patients with refractory focal epilepsy followed up in our centre. We also evaluated the influence of aetiology and duration of epilepsy in this patient cohort on the chances of achieving 12-month remission in a 2-year follow-up.
The major finding was that a substantial group of patients achieved remission; 30 (25%) initially refractory patients achieved at least 12 months remission during follow-up. A total of 40.0% of the patients with cryptogenic aetiology had achieved 12-month remission compared with the 16.2% patients with symptomatic aetiologies (age-adjusted OR 3.74, 95% CI 1.54 to 9.07, p = 0.004). Aetiologies often considered for surgical treatment (hippocampal sclerosis, cortical dysplasia, vascular malformation, tumour and dual pathology) carried an almost six-fold risk of persistent seizures compared with cryptogenic epilepsy (age-adjusted OR 5.85, 95% CI 2.00 to 17.11, p = 0.001).
Patients with vascular malformation and dual pathology as aetiology were most refractory, none being in remission for 12 months. There were also patients achieving 12-month remission after a long period of active epilepsy. These results encourage physicians to continue with new drug trials, especially on patients with no possibilities of epilepsy surgery, as well as on those still having seizures after epilepsy surgery.
Valuation studies have been mobilized to demonstrate the importance of nature to society and to incorporate concerns about nature into decision making. Although increasingly popular in ecosystem ...service research, such studies have also been criticized. In particular, tensions between the assumptions of valuation methods and the real-life processes of valuing have been identified. This article argues that a process-based, pragmatist approach to valuing helps to evaluate the relevance of valuation studies results. Pragmatism proposes a focus on activities through which people come to value natural elements in their everyday life rather than on the outcomes of valuing processes. Using this approach we examine three empirical cases: 1) restoration of natural springs in Finland; 2) protection of the bearded vulture in the French Alps; and 3) management of urban biodiversity in the City of Grenoble, France. Through these cases we demonstrate how nature's value to people emerges from commonplace ways of engaging with natural elements, such as domestication, inheriting and community building. We conclude by discussing the usefulness of acknowledging this kind of processes in nature conservation.
•Valuation of ecosystem services tends to ignore real-life valuing processes.•Understanding how people value is just as policy-relevant as what they value.•Pragmatist approach focuses on how values emerge from everyday activities.•We examine three case studies to demonstrate the usefulness of pragmatism.
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