Editorial: Serial Fecal Calprotectin and Lactoferrin Measurements for Early Diagnosis of Pouchitis After Proctocolectomy for Ulcerative Colitis: Is Pouchoscopy No Longer Needed?

This editorial discusses the role of serial measurements of fecal calprotectin or fecal lactoferrin for the early detection of pouchitis in patients with ulcerative colitis having undergone procto-colectomy with ileo-pouch-anal anastomosis. Furthermore, the role of fecal calprotectin and fecal lactoferrin for the monitoring of pouchitis is highlighted.

CNDOL: A fast and reliable method for the calculation of electronic properties of very large systems. Applications to retinal binding pocket in rhodopsin and gas phase porphine.

Very large molecular systems can be calculated with the so called CNDOL approximate Hamiltonians that have been developed by avoiding oversimplifications and only using a priori parameters and formulas from the simpler NDO methods. A new diagonal monoelectronic term named CNDOL/21 shows great consistency and easier SCF convergence when used together with an appropriate function for charge repulsion energies that is derived from traditional formulas. It is possible to obtain a priori molecular orbitals and electron excitation properties after the configuration interaction of single excited determinants with reliability, maintaining interpretative possibilities even being a simplified Hamiltonian. Tests with some unequivocal gas phase maxima of simple molecules (benzene, furfural, acetaldehyde, hexyl alcohol, methyl amine, 2,5 dimethyl 2,4 hexadiene, and ethyl sulfide) ratify the general quality of this approach in comparison with other methods. The calculation of large systems as porphine in gas phase and a model of the complete retinal binding pocket in rhodopsin with 622 basis functions on 280 atoms at the quantum mechanical level show reliability leading to a resulting first allowed transition in 483 nm, very similar to the known experimental value of 500 nm of "dark state." In this very important case, our model gives a central role in this excitation to a charge transfer from the neighboring Glu(-) counterion to the retinaldehyde polyene chain. Tests with gas phase maxima of some important molecules corroborate the reliability of CNDOL/2 Hamiltonians.

High c-Met expression in stage I-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma: proposal for an immunostaining scoring method and correlation with poor prognosis.

AIMS: c-Met is an emerging biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); there is no consensus regarding the immunostaining scoring method for this marker. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of c-Met overexpression in resected PDAC, and to elaborate a robust and reproducible scoring method for c-Met immunostaining in this setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: c-Met immunostaining was graded according to the validated MetMab score, a classic visual scale combining surface and intensity (SI score), or a simplified score (high c-Met: ≥20% of tumour cells with strong membranous staining), in stage I-II PDAC. A computer-assisted classification method (Aperio software) was developed. Clinicopathological parameters were correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival(OS). One hundred and forty-nine patients were analysed retrospectively in a two-step process. Thirty-seven samples (whole slides) were analysed as a pre-run test. Reproducibility values were optimal with the simplified score (kappa = 0.773); high c-Met expression (7/37) was associated with shorter DFS [hazard ratio (HR) 3.456, P = 0.0036] and OS (HR 4.257, P = 0.0004). c-Met expression was concordant on whole slides and tissue microarrays in 87.9% of samples, and quantifiable with a specific computer-assisted algorithm. In the whole cohort (n = 131), patients with c-Met(high) tumours (36/131) had significantly shorter DFS (9.3 versus 20.0 months, HR 2.165, P = 0.0005) and OS (18.2 versus 35.0 months, HR 1.832, P = 0.0098) in univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Simplified c-Met expression is an independent prognostic marker in stage I-II PDAC that may help to identify patients with a high risk of tumour relapse and poor survival.

Measuring individuals' response quality in self-administered psychological tests : an introduction to Gendre's functional method

The functional method is a new test theory using a new scoring method that assumes complexity in test structure, and thus takes into account every correlation between factors and items. The main specificity of the functional method is to model test scores by multiple regression instead of estimating them by using simplistic sums of points. In order to proceed, the functional method requires the creation of hyperspherical measurement space, in which item responses are expressed by their correlation with orthogonal factors. This method has three main qualities. First, measures are expressed in the absolute metric of correlations; therefore, items, scales and persons are expressed in the same measurement space using the same single metric. Second, factors are systematically orthogonal and without errors, which is optimal in order to predict other outcomes. Such predictions can be performed to estimate how one would answer to other tests, or even to model one's response strategy if it was perfectly coherent. Third, the functional method provides measures of individuals' response validity (i.e., control indices). Herein, we propose a standard procedure in order to identify whether test results are interpretable and to exclude invalid results caused by various response biases based on control indices.

Erratum of initial paper: Postmortem computed tomography angiography vs. conventional autopsy: advantages and inconveniences of each method.

PURPOSE: Postmortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) was introduced into forensic investigations a few years ago. It provides reliable images that can be consulted at any time. Conventional autopsy remains the reference standard for defining the cause of death, but provides only limited possibility of a second examination. This study compares these two procedures and discusses findings that can be detected exclusively using each method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study compared radiological reports from PMCTA to reports from conventional autopsy for 50 forensic autopsy cases. Reported findings from autopsy and PMCTA were extracted and compared to each other. PMCTA was performed using a modified heart-lung machine and the oily contrast agent Angiofil® (Fumedica AG, Muri, Switzerland). RESULTS: PMCTA and conventional autopsy would have drawn similar conclusions regarding causes of death. Nearly 60 % of all findings were visualized with both techniques. PMCTA demonstrates a higher sensitivity for identifying skeletal and vascular lesions. However, vascular occlusions due to postmortem blood clots could be falsely assumed to be vascular lesions. In contrast, conventional autopsy does not detect all bone fractures or the exact source of bleeding. Conventional autopsy provides important information about organ morphology and remains the only way to diagnose a vital vascular occlusion with certitude. CONCLUSION: Overall, PMCTA and conventional autopsy provide comparable findings. However, each technique presents advantages and disadvantages for detecting specific findings. To correctly interpret findings and clearly define the indications for PMCTA, these differences must be understood.

Lowering blood alcohol content levels to save lives: A European case study

Road safety has become an increasing concern in developed countries due to the significant amount of fatalities and the associated economic losses. Only in 2005 these losses rose to 200,000 million euros, a considerable sum ¿ approximately 2% of GDP ¿ that easily justifies any public intervention. One measure taken by governments to address this issue is to enact stricter policies and regulations. Since drunk driving is one of the greatest concerns among public authorities in this field, several European countries have lowered their illegal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) levels to 0.5 mg/ml during the last decade. This study is the first evaluation of the effectiveness of this transition using European panel-based data (CARE) for the period 1991-2003 with the differences-in-differences method in a fixed effects estimation that allows for any pattern of correlation (Cluster-Robust). The results reveal a positive impact on certain groups of road users and on the whole population when the policy is accompanied by enforcement interventions. Moreover, positive results appeared after a time lag of over two years. Finally, I state the importance of controlling for serial correlation in the evaluation of this type of policy.

Lowering blood alcohol content levels to save lives: A European case study

Road safety has become an increasing concern in developed countries due to the significant amount of fatalities and the associated economic losses. Only in 2005 these losses rose to 200,000 million euros, a considerable sum ¿ approximately 2% of GDP ¿ that easily justifies any public intervention. One measure taken by governments to address this issue is to enact stricter policies and regulations. Since drunk driving is one of the greatest concerns among public authorities in this field, several European countries have lowered their illegal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) levels to 0.5 mg/ml during the last decade. This study is the first evaluation of the effectiveness of this transition using European panel-based data (CARE) for the period 1991-2003 with the differences-in-differences method in a fixed effects estimation that allows for any pattern of correlation (Cluster-Robust). The results reveal a positive impact on certain groups of road users and on the whole population when the policy is accompanied by enforcement interventions. Moreover, positive results appeared after a time lag of over two years. Finally, I state the importance of controlling for serial correlation in the evaluation of this type of policy.

RNA enrichment method for quantitative transcriptional analysis of pathogens in vivo applied to the fungus Candida albicans.

UNLABELLED: In vivo transcriptional analyses of microbial pathogens are often hampered by low proportions of pathogen biomass in host organs, hindering the coverage of full pathogen transcriptome. We aimed to address the transcriptome profiles of Candida albicans, the most prevalent fungal pathogen in systemically infected immunocompromised patients, during systemic infection in different hosts. We developed a strategy for high-resolution quantitative analysis of the C. albicans transcriptome directly from early and late stages of systemic infection in two different host models, mouse and the insect Galleria mellonella. Our results show that transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) libraries were enriched for fungal transcripts up to 1,600-fold using biotinylated bait probes to capture C. albicans sequences. This enrichment biased the read counts of only ~3% of the genes, which can be identified and removed based on a priori criteria. This allowed an unprecedented resolution of C. albicans transcriptome in vivo, with detection of over 86% of its genes. The transcriptional response of the fungus was surprisingly similar during infection of the two hosts and at the two time points, although some host- and time point-specific genes could be identified. Genes that were highly induced during infection were involved, for instance, in stress response, adhesion, iron acquisition, and biofilm formation. Of the in vivo-regulated genes, 10% are still of unknown function, and their future study will be of great interest. The fungal RNA enrichment procedure used here will help a better characterization of the C. albicans response in infected hosts and may be applied to other microbial pathogens. IMPORTANCE: Understanding the mechanisms utilized by pathogens to infect and cause disease in their hosts is crucial for rational drug development. Transcriptomic studies may help investigations of these mechanisms by determining which genes are expressed specifically during infection. This task has been difficult so far, since the proportion of microbial biomass in infected tissues is often extremely low, thus limiting the depth of sequencing and comprehensive transcriptome analysis. Here, we adapted a technology to capture and enrich C. albicans RNA, which was next used for deep RNA sequencing directly from infected tissues from two different host organisms. The high-resolution transcriptome revealed a large number of genes that were so far unknown to participate in infection, which will likely constitute a focus of study in the future. More importantly, this method may be adapted to perform transcript profiling of any other microbes during host infection or colonization.

Orofacial pain of cardiac origin, serial of clinical cases

Objective: To determine the clinical characteristics of the orofacial pain of cardiac origin in patients visited when doing a treadmill exercise test, at the cardiology service of the Can Ruti Hospital in Badalona (Barcelona, Spain). Study design: The sample of that study included thirty patients visiteding when doing a treadmill exercise test, at the cardiology service. The questionnaire has been asked to a sample of 30 patients. Results: Eleven of the 30 patients included in this study presented craniofacial pain before or during the cardiac seizure. The location of the pain was bilateral, non-irradiated at the mandible in all cases. The intensity of the pain was from slight to severe. The frequency of the appearance of the pain was paroxysmal in 8 cases and constant in three cases, and the duration was from a few hours to a maximum of 14 days. Discussion: The cardiac pain in craniofacial structures is usually bilateral, compared to odontogenic pain which is always unilateral. The pain of cardiac origin is considered atypical because of its location, but about the 10 % of the cases, the cardiac ischemia has its primary manifestation in orofacial structures. Conclusions: Eleven patients referred a bilateral non-irradiated mandibular pain, with intensity from slight to severe, and with a paroxystic frequency in eight cases and a constant frequency in three cases. Just one patient referred pain during the treadmill exercise test. In all cases the pain disappeared after the cardiac surgery or the administration of vasodilators.

Support for a demographically based selection method at University: The role of competition

Building on the instrumental model of group conflict (IMGC), the present experiment investigates the support for discriminatory and meritocratic method of selections at university in a sample of local and immigrant students. Results showed that local students were supporting in a larger proportion selection method that favors them over immigrants in comparison to method that consists in selecting the best applicants without considering his/her origin. Supporting the assumption of the IMGC, this effect was stronger for locals who perceived immigrants as competing for resources. Immigrant students supported more strongly the meritocratic selection method than the one that discriminated them. However, contrasting with the assumption of the IMGC, this effect was only present in students who perceived immigrants as weakly competing for locals' resources. Results demonstrate that selection methods used at university can be perceived differently depending on students' origin. Further, they suggest that the mechanisms underlying the perception of discriminatory and meritocratic selection methods differ between local and immigrant students. Hence, the present experiment makes a theoretical contribution to the IMGC by delimiting its assumptions to the ingroup facing a competitive situation with a relevant outgroup. Practical implication for universities recruitment policies are discussed.

Method development for the simultaneous determination of methylmercury and inorganic mercury in seafood

This paper reports the method development for the simultaneous determination of methylmercury MeHgþ) and inorganic mercury (iHg) species in seafood samples. The study focused on the extraction and quantification of MeHgþ (the most toxic species) by liquid chromatography coupled to on-line UV irradiation and cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (LC-UV-CV-AFS), using HCl 4 mol/L as the extractant agent. Accuracy of the method has been verified by analysing three certified reference materials and different spiked samples. The values found for total Hg and MeHgþ for the CRMs did not differ significantly from certified values at a 95% confidence level, and recoveries between 85% and 97% for MeHgþ, based on spikes, were achieved. The detection limits (LODs) obtained were 0.001 mg Hg/kg for total mercury, 0.0003 mg Hg/kg for MeHgþ and 0.0004 mg Hg/kg for iHg. The quantification limits (LOQs) established were 0.003 mg Hg/kg for total mercury, 0.0010 mg Hg/kg for MeHgþ and 0.0012 mg Hg/kg for iHg. Precision for each mercury species was established, being 12% in terms of RSD in all cases. Finally, the developed method was applied to 24 seafood samples from different origins and total mercury contents. The concentrations for Total Hg, MeHg and iHg ranged from 0.07 to 2.33, 0.003-2.23 and 0.006-0.085 mg Hg/kg, respectively. The established analytical method allows to obtain results for mercury speciation in less than 1 one hour including both, sample pretreatment and measuring step.

Development of a systematic computer vision-based method to analyse and compare images of false identity documents for forensic intelligence purposes-Part I: acquisition, calibration and validation issues

Following their detection and seizure by police and border guard authorities, false identity and travel documents are usually scanned, producing digital images. This research investigates the potential of these images to classify false identity documents, highlight links between documents produced by a same modus operandi or same source, and thus support forensic intelligence efforts. Inspired by previous research work about digital images of Ecstasy tablets, a systematic and complete method has been developed to acquire, collect, process and compare images of false identity documents. This first part of the article highlights the critical steps of the method and the development of a prototype that processes regions of interest extracted from images. Acquisition conditions have been fine-tuned in order to optimise reproducibility and comparability of images. Different filters and comparison metrics have been evaluated and the performance of the method has been assessed using two calibration and validation sets of documents, made up of 101 Italian driving licenses and 96 Portuguese passports seized in Switzerland, among which some were known to come from common sources. Results indicate that the use of Hue and Edge filters or their combination to extract profiles from images, and then the comparison of profiles with a Canberra distance-based metric provides the most accurate classification of documents. The method appears also to be quick, efficient and inexpensive. It can be easily operated from remote locations and shared amongst different organisations, which makes it very convenient for future operational applications. The method could serve as a first fast triage method that may help target more resource-intensive profiling methods (based on a visual, physical or chemical examination of documents for instance). Its contribution to forensic intelligence and its application to several sets of false identity documents seized by police and border guards will be developed in a forthcoming article (part II).