Phalangeal morphology of Shanghuang fossil primates

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Journal of Human Evolution, Volume 113
Author(s): Daniel L. Gebo, Marian Dagosto, Xijun Ni, K. Christopher Beard
Here, we describe hundreds of isolated phalanges attributed to middle Eocene fossil primates from the Shanghuang fissure-fillings from southern Jiangsu Province, China. Extending knowledge based on previous descriptions of postcranial material from Shanghuang, this sample of primate finger and toe bones includes proximal phalanges, middle phalanges, and over three hundred nail-bearing distal phalanges. Most of the isolated proximal and middle phalanges fall within the range of small-bodied individuals, suggesting an allocation to the smaller haplorhine primates identified at Shanghuang, including eosimiids. In contrast to the proximal and middle phalanges from Shanghuang, there are a variety of shapes, sizes, and possible taxonomic allocations for the distal phalanges. Two distal phalangeal morphologies are numerically predominant at Shanghuang. The sample of larger bodied specimens is best allocated to the medium-sized adapiform Adapoides while the smaller ones are allocated to eosimiids on the basis of the commonality of dental and tarsal remains of these taxa at Shanghuang. The digit morphology of Adapoides is similar morphologically to that of notharctines and cercamoniines, while eosimiid digit morphology is unlike living anthropoids. Other primate distal phalangeal morphologies at Shanghuang include grooming "claws" as well as specimens attributable to tarsiids, tarsiiforms, the genus Macrotarsius, and a variety of adapiforms. One group of distal phalanges at Shanghuang is morphologically indistinguishable from those of living anthropoids. All of the phalanges suggest long fingers and toes for the fossil primates of Shanghaung, and their digit morphology implies arboreality with well-developed digital flexion and strong, grasping hands and feet.



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Atypical PKC, PKCλ/ι, activates β-secretase and increases Aβ1−40/42 and phospho-tau in mouse brain and isolated neuronal cells, and may link hyperinsulinemia and other aPKC activators to development of pathological and memory abnormalities in Alzheimer’s Disease.

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Neurobiology of Aging
Author(s): Mini P. Sajan, Barbara C. Hansen, Margaret G. Higgs, C. Ron Kahn, Ursula Braun, Michael Leitges, Collin R. Park, David M. Diamond, Robert V. Farese
IntroductionHyperinsulinemia activates brain Akt and PKC-λ/ι and increases Aβ1−40/42 and phospho-tau in insulin-resistant animals.MethodsHere, we examined underlying mechanisms in mice, neuronal cells and mouse hippocampal slices.ResultsLike Aβ1−40/42, β-secretase activity was increased in insulin-resistant mice and monkeys. In insulin-resistant mice, inhibition of hepatic PKC-λ/ι is sufficient to correct hepatic abnormalities and hyperinsulinemia simultaneously reversed increases in Akt, aPKC, β-secretase and Aβ1−40/42, and restored acute Akt activation ; However, two aPKC inhibitors additionally blocked insulin's ability to activate brain PKC-λ/ι and thereby increase β-secretase and Aβ1−40/42. Furthermore, direct blockade of brain aPKC simultaneously corrected an impairment in novel object recognition in high-fat-fed insulin-resistant mice. In neuronal cells and/or mouse hippocampal slices, PKC-ι/λ activation by insulin, metformin or expression of constitutive PKC-ι provoked increases in β-secretase, Aβ1−40/42 and phospho-thr-231-tau that were blocked by various PKC-λ/ι inhibitors, but not by an Akt, inhibitor.ConclusionsPKC-λ/ι provokes increases in brain β-secretase, Aβ1−40/42 and phospho-thr-231-tau. Excessive signaling via PKC-λ/ι may link hyperinsulinemia and other PKC-λ/ι activators to pathological and functional abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease.

Graphical abstract

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Subjective memory complaints are associated with brain activation supporting successful memory encoding

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Neurobiology of Aging, Volume 60
Author(s): Jessica M. Hayes, Lingfei Tang, Raymond P. Viviano, Sanneke van Rooden, Noa Ofen, Jessica S. Damoiseaux
Subjective memory complaints, the perceived decline in cognitive abilities in the absence of clinical deficits, may precede Alzheimer's disease. Individuals with subjective memory complaints show differential brain activation during memory encoding; however, whether such differences contribute to successful memory formation remains unclear. Here, we investigated how subsequent memory effects, activation which is greater for hits than misses during an encoding task, differed between healthy older adults aged 50 to 85 years with (n = 23) and without (n = 41) memory complaints. Older adults with memory complaints, compared to those without, showed lower subsequent memory effects in the occipital lobe, superior parietal lobe, and posterior cingulate cortex. In addition, older adults with more memory complaints showed a more negative subsequent memory effects in areas of the default mode network, including the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Our findings suggest that for successful memory formation, older adults with subjective memory complaints rely on distinct neural mechanisms which may reflect an overall decreased task-directed attention.



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The flavonoid Baicalein attenuates cuprizone-induced demyelination via suppression of neuroinflammation

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Brain Research Bulletin
Author(s): Miho Hashimoto, Shinji Yamamoto, Kensuke Iwasa, Kota Yamashina, Masaki Ishikawa, Kei Maruyama, Francesca Bosetti, Keisuke Yoshikawa
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system characterized by recurrent and progressive demyelination/remyelination cycles, neuroinflammation, oligodendrocyte loss, and axonal pathology. Baicalein isolated from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. The cuprizone model is an established mouse model of MS and causes demyelination and motor dysfunction to induce neuroinflammation such as glial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. To determine whether Baicalein attenuates cuprizone-induced demyelination, we administrated Baicalein to cuprizone-exposured mice. We found that Baicalein treatment attenuated cuprizone-induced demyelination, glial activation, pro-inflammatory cytokine expressions, and motor dysfunction. Our results suggest that Baicalein may be a useful therapeutic agent in demyelinating diseases to suppress neuroinflammation.



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The P2X7 receptor in dorsal root ganglia is involved in HIV gp120-associated neuropathic pain

Publication date: Available online 14 September 2017
Source:Brain Research Bulletin
Author(s): Bing Wu, Lichao Peng, Jinyan Xie, Lifang Zou, Qicheng Zhu, Huaide Jiang, Zhihua Yi, Shouyu Wang, Yun Xue, Yun Gao, Guilin Li, Shuangmei Liu, Chunping Zhang, Guodong Li, Shangdong Liang, Huangui Xiong
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neuropathic pain is common, and studies have shown that HIV envelope glycoprotein 120 (gp120) can directly stimulate primary sensory afferent neurons causing hyperalgesia. The P2X7 receptor in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) is involved in pain transmission and is closely related to the inflammatory and immune response. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of the P2X7 receptor in gp120-induced neuropathic pain using a rat model specific for this type of pain. The results showed that mechanical hyperalgesia, thermal hyperalgesia and P2X7 expression levels were increased in rats treated with gp120. The P2X7 antagonist, brilliant blue G (BBG), decreased hyperalgesia and P2X7 expression levels in rats treated with gp120. BBG also decreased IL-1β and TNF-α receptor expression and ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels and increased IL-10 expression in the gp120-treated rat DRG. In addition, P2X7 agonist (BzATP)-activated currents in DRG neurons cultured with gp120 were larger than those in control neurons, and the inhibitory effect of BBG on BzATP-induced currents in gp120-treated DRG neurons was larger than that in control neurons. Therefore, inhibition of the P2X7 receptor in rat DRG relieved gp120-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and thermal hyperalgesia.



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Recent advances of controlled drug delivery using microfluidic platforms

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
Author(s): Sharma T. Sanjay, Wan Zhou, Maowei Dou, Hamed Tavakoli, Lei Ma, Feng Xu, XiuJun Li
Conventional systematically-administered drugs distribute evenly throughout the body, get degraded and excreted rapidly while crossing many biological barriers, leaving minimum amounts of the drugs at pathological sites. Controlled drug delivery aims to deliver drugs to the target sites at desired rates and time, thus enhancing the drug efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and bioavailability while maintaining minimal side effects. Due to a number of unique advantages of the recent microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology, microfluidic lab-on-a-chip has provided unprecedented opportunities for controlled drug delivery. Drugs can be efficiently delivered to the target sites at desired rates in a well-controlled manner by microfluidic platforms via integration, implantation, localization, automation, and precise control of various microdevice parameters. These features accordingly make reproducible, on-demand, and tunable drug delivery become feasible. On-demand self-tuning dynamic drug delivery systems have shown great potential for personalized drug delivery. This review presents an overview of recent advances in controlled drug delivery using microfluidic platforms. The review first briefly introduces microfabrication techniques of microfluidic platforms, followed by detailed descriptions of numerous microfluidic drug delivery systems that have significantly advanced the field of controlled drug delivery. Those microfluidic systems can be separated into four major categories, namely drug carrier-free micro-reservoir-based drug delivery systems, highly integrated carrier-free microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems, drug carrier-integrated microfluidic systems, and microneedles. Microneedles can be further categorized into five different types, i.e. solid, porous, hollow, coated, and biodegradable microneedles, for controlled transdermal drug delivery. At the end, we discuss current limitations and future prospects of microfluidic platforms for controlled drug delivery.

Graphical abstract

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Multicenter Research Studies in Radiology

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Academic Radiology
Author(s): Brittany Z. Dashevsky, Zachary L. Bercu, Priya R. Bhosale, Kirsteen R. Burton, Arindam R. Chatterjee, L. Alexandre R. Frigini, Laura Heacock, Edward H. Herskovits, James T. Lee, Naveen Subhas, Ashish P. Wasnik, Soterios Gyftopoulos
Rationale and ObjectivesHere we review the current state of multicenter radiology research (MRR), and utilize a survey of experienced researchers to identify common advantages, barriers, and resources to guide future investigators.Materials and MethodsThe Association of University Radiologists established a Radiology Research Alliance task force, Multi-center Research Studies in Radiology, composed of 12 society members to review MRR. A REDCap survey was designed to gain more insight from experienced researchers. Recipients were authors identified from a PubMed database search, utilizing search terms "multicenter" or "multisite" and "radiology." The survey included investigator background information, reasons why, barriers to, and resources that investigators found helpful in conducting or participating in MRR.ResultsThe survey was completed by 23 of 80 recipients (29%), the majority (76%) of whom served as a primary investigator on at least one MRR project. Respondents reported meeting collaborators at national or international (74%) and society (39%) meetings. The most common perceived advantages of MRR were increased sample size (100%) and improved generalizability (91%). External funding was considered the most significant barrier to MRR, reported by 26% of respondents. Institutional funding, setting up a central picture archiving and communication system, and setting up a central database were considered a significant barrier by 30%, 22%, and 22% of respondents, respectively. Resources for overcoming barriers included motivated staff (74%), strong leadership (70%), regular conference calls (57%), and at least one face-to-face meeting (57%).ConclusionsBarriers to MRR include funding and establishing a central database and a picture archiving and communication system. Upon embarking on an MRR project, forming a motivated team who meets and speaks regularly is essential.



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Low-intensity Vibration Therapy for Bone Health in Renal Osteodystrophy

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Academic Radiology
Author(s): Sachin Sharma, Garry E. Gold




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Differential Aging Signals in Abdominal CT Scans

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Academic Radiology
Author(s): Nikita V. Orlov, Sokratis Makrogiannis, Luigi Ferrucci, Ilya G. Goldberg
Rationale and ObjectivesChanges in the composition of body tissues are major aging phenotypes, but they have been difficult to study in depth. Here we describe age-related change in abdominal tissues observable in computed tomography (CT) scans. We used pattern recognition and machine learning to detect and quantify these changes in a model-agnostic fashion.Materials and MethodsCT scans of abdominal L4 sections were obtained from Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) participants. Age-related change in the constituent tissues were determined by training machine classifiers to differentiate age groups within male and female strata ("Younger" at 50–70 years old vs "Older" at 80–99 years old). The accuracy achieved by the classifiers in differentiating the age cohorts was used as a surrogate measure of the aging signal in the different tissues.ResultsThe highest accuracy for discriminating age differences was 0.76 and 0.72 for males and females, respectively. The classification accuracy was 0.79 and 0.71 for adipose tissue, 0.70 and 0.68 for soft tissue, and 0.65 and 0.64 for bone.ConclusionsUsing image data from a large sample of well-characterized pool of participants dispersed over a wide age range, we explored age-related differences in gross morphology and texture of abdominal tissues. This technology is advantageous for tracking effects of biological aging and predicting adverse outcomes when compared to the traditional use of specific molecular biomarkers. Application of pattern recognition and machine learning as a tool for analyzing medical images may provide much needed insight into tissue changes occurring with aging and, further, connect these changes with their metabolic and functional consequences.



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Temporal changes in motor variability during prolonged lifting/lowering and the influence of work experience

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology
Author(s): Alireza Sedighi, Maury A. Nussbaum
Ankle braces are a common treatment to reduce ankle sprain recurrence among individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Bracing provides supplemental external joint stiffness and/or improved proprioceptive acuity. The goals of this study were to assess the effects of two ankle braces on joint position sense (JPS) and ankle stiffness, and determine whether bracing effects are reduced with localized muscle fatigue. Measures of JPS and ankle stiffness were obtained from participants with CAI (n=12) for three conditions (no brace, a neoprene wrap brace, and a semi-rigid brace), before and after inducing localized muscle fatigue at the ankle. Pre-fatigue JPS measures did not differ between brace conditions, but pre-fatigue stiffness was ∼0.8 and 2.5 Nm/rad (∼5 and 14%) greater for the semi-rigid brace than the neoprene and no brace conditions, respectively. Fatigue increased absolute JPS errors by 0.3° (∼6-12%) across all conditions. Stiffness was unaffected by fatigue among females. Among males, fatigue increased stiffness by 0.75 Nm/rad (∼3.3%) with the semi-rigid brace and decreased stiffness by 0.32 Nm/rad (1.5%) with no brace. The semi-rigid brace may better protect males from sprains while either brace may be effective for females.



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Effects of tetramethylpyrazine phosphate on pancreatic islet microcirculation in SD rats

Abstract

Purposes

Abnormal islet microcirculation impetus the insulin production and accelerates progression of Type 1 and 2 diabetes. In this study, we investigated whether tetramethylpyrazine phosphate (TMPP), a vasoactive substance, could regulate the islet microcirculation and insulin concentration and improve glycaemia in SD rats.

Methods

SD rats were randomly divided into two groups, the control and TMPP groups. Each group was further divided into three subgroups according to the intravenous injection of either saline, 15 or 30% glucose. The non-radioactive microsphere technique was adopted to measure the organ blood flow. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) blocker l-NAME was used to address whether NO was involved in mediating the vasoactive effects of TMPP.

Results

In the TMPP group, TMPP increased the PBF (pancreatic blood flow), IBF (islet blood flow), and fIBF (fraction of islet blood flow out of pancreatic blood flow) by 57, 76 and 47%, respectively, after 30% glucose infusion, compared with the control, indicating that TMPP could regulate islet microcirculation. Furthermore, TMPP induced a 66% elevation of IBF and 37% of fIBF in the 30% glucose subgroups than the 15% ones. In 30% glucose-treated subgroups, TMPP improved the blood glucose concentration by 10%, compared with the control (19.3 ± 0.64 vs 17.32 ± 0.56 mmol/l, P < 0.05), without influencing the insulin secretion. Blocking NO formation prevented the enhanced PBF and IBF, evoking by TMPP with 30% glucose.

Conclusions

TMPP can regulate the pancreatic islet microcirculation and possess a hypoglycemia effect after glucose infusion through affecting the islet microcirculation.

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A retrospective review of initial bisphosphonate infusion in an inpatient vs. outpatient setting for bisphosphonate naïve patients

Journal Name: Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
Issue: Ahead of print


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Evaluation of neurodevelopment of children with congenital hypothyroidism by the Denver Developmental Screening Test

Journal Name: Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
Issue: Ahead of print


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Peucedanum japonicum extract attenuates allergic airway inflammation by inhibiting Th2 cell activation and production of pro-inflammatory mediators

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Author(s): Jin Mi Chun, A-reum Lee, Hyo Seon Kim, A Yeong Lee, Gyo Jeong Gu, Byeong Cheol Moon, Bo-In Kwon
Ethnopharmacological relevance:The root of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb is traditionally used to treat coughs, colds, headache and inflammatory diseases in Korea and Japan. Its effects on allergic lung inflammation have not been investigated.Aim of the study:To investigate the anti-asthmatic effects of Peucedanum japonicum extract (PJE) using a murine model of asthma and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage cell line.Materials and Methods:Mice underwent two rounds of sensitization with ovalbumin 1 week apart followed by four intranasal ovalbumin challenges on days 13–16. The control group received saline only. Two ovalbumin-sensitized groups were orally administered vehicle or PJE (200mg/kg) 5 days a week starting 1 week before the first ovalbumin sensitization. The third group was orally administered the asthma medication Montelukast (10mg/kg) on days 12–16. All animals were sacrificed on day 17. The lungs were assessed for histological features, inflammatory cell infiltration, Th2 cell activation and GATA-binding protein-3 (GATA-3) expression. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was assessed for type 2 cytokine levels. The effect of PJE on the in vitro Th2 polarization of naïve CD4⁺ splenocytes and the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells was evaluated.Results:PJE treatment inhibited OVA-induced inflammatory cell infiltration, eosinophilia, Th2 activation, and GATA-3 expression in the lung, reduced the interleukin (IL)−5 and IL-13 levels in BALF, down-regulated Th2 activation in vitro, and inhibited the macrophage production of inducible nitric oxide, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-6. Conclusions:PJE attenuated allergic airway inflammation by inhibiting Th2 cell activation and macrophage production of inflammatory mediators. Peucedanum japonicum may be candidate therapy for allergic lung inflammation.

Graphical abstract

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Metagenomic Shotgun Sequencing and Unbiased Metabolomic Profiling Identify Specific Human Gut Microbiota and Metabolites Associated with Immune Checkpoint Therapy Efficacy in Melanoma Patients

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Neoplasia, Volume 19, Issue 10
Author(s): Arthur E. Frankel, Laura A. Coughlin, Jiwoong Kim, Thomas W. Froehlich, Yang Xie, Eugene P. Frenkel, Andrew Y. Koh
This is the first prospective study of the effects of human gut microbiota and metabolites on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICT) response in metastatic melanoma patients. Whereas many melanoma patients exhibit profound response to ICT, there are fewer options for patients failing ICT—particularly with BRAF-wild-type disease. In preclinical studies, specific gut microbiota promotes regression of melanoma in mice. We therefore conducted a study of the effects of pretreatment gut microbiota and metabolites on ICT Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors response in 39 metastatic melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab, nivolumab, ipilimumab plus nivolumab (IN), or pembrolizumab (P). IN yielded 67% responses and 8% stable disease; P achieved 23% responses and 23% stable disease. ICT responders for all types of therapies were enriched for Bacteroides caccae. Among IN responders, the gut microbiome was enriched for Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Bacteroides thetaiotamicron, and Holdemania filiformis. Among P responders, the microbiome was enriched for Dorea formicogenerans. Unbiased shotgun metabolomics revealed high levels of anacardic acid in ICT responders. Based on these pilot studies, both additional confirmatory clinical studies and preclinical testing of these bacterial species and metabolites are warranted to confirm their ICT enhancing activity.



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Targeting immune modulatory pathways in cancer

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Clinical Immunology
Author(s): Philipp Beckhove




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Depressed serum IgM levels in SLE are restricted to defined subgroups

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:Clinical Immunology
Author(s): Caroline Grönwall, Uta Hardt, Johanna T. Gustafsson, Kerstin Elvin, Kerstin Jensen-Urstad, Marika Kvarnström, Giorgia Grosso, Johan Rönnelid, Leonid Padykov, Iva Gunnarsson, Gregg J. Silverman, Elisabet Svenungsson
Natural IgM autoantibodies have been proposed to convey protection from autoimmune pathogenesis. Herein, we investigated the IgM responses in 396 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, divided into subgroups based on distinct autoantibody profiles. Depressed IgM levels were more common in SLE than in matched population controls. Strikingly, an autoreactivity profile defined by IgG anti-Ro/La was associated with reduced levels of specific natural IgM anti-phosphorylcholine (PC) antigens and anti-malondialdehyde (MDA) modified-protein, as well total IgM, while no differences were detected in SLE patients with an autoreactivity profile defined by anti-cardiolipin/β2glycoprotein-I. We also observed an association of reduced IgM levels with the HLA-DRB1*03 allelic variant among SLE patients and controls. Associations of low IgM anti-PC with cardiovascular disease were primarily found in patients without antiphospholipid antibodies. These studies further highlight the clinical relevance of depressed IgM, and suggest that low IgM levels in a SLE patient may reflect underlying immunological differences.



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Antennal and behavioral responses of Mythimna separata (Walker) to three plant volatiles

Abstract

The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata, is distributed widely in eastern Asia and Australia. The response of M.separata to 27 compounds identified from plant volatiles was determined from electroantennography (EAG) and wind tunnel results, which allowed an evaluation of the possible plant volatile compounds. The highest EAG values of males were elicited by trans-2,cis-6-nonadienal, and virgin females by benzyl alcohol. The amplitude in EAG dose-response was in the range of 0.24 to 2.87 mV. In the wind tunnel bioassays, significantly more females showed behavioral responses to wilting leaves and headspace collection of Pterocarya stenoptera rather than control. In addition, significantly more females flew upwind with beta-ocimene compared with the control. The number of females that landed at the source with cis-3-hexen-1-ol, phenylethyl alcohol, trans-2-nonenal, and 2-pentylfuran was significantly different from the number that moved towards control.

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Bringing together raptor collections in Europe for contaminant research and monitoring in relation to chemicals regulations

Abstract

Raptors are good sentinels of environmental contamination and there is good capability for raptor biomonitoring in Europe. Raptor biomonitoring can benefit from natural history museums (NHMs), environmental specimen banks (ESBs) and other collections (e.g. specialist raptor specimen collections). Europe's NHMs, ESBs and other collections hold large numbers of raptor specimens and samples, covering long periods of time. These collections are potentially a valuable resource for contaminant studies over time and space. There are strong needs to monitor contaminants in the environment to support EU and national chemical management. However, data on raptor specimens in NHMs, ESBs and other collections are dispersed, few are digitised, and they are thus not easy to access. Specimen coverage is patchy in terms of species, space and time. Contaminant research with raptors would be facilitated by creating a framework to link relevant collections, digitising all collections, developing a searchable meta-database covering all existing collections, making them more visible and accessible for contaminant research. This would also help identify gaps in coverage and stimulate specimen collection to fill gaps in support of prioritised contaminant monitoring. Collections can further support raptor biomonitoring by making samples available for analysis on request.

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A comparative study of inorganic elements in the blood of male and female Caspian pond turtles ( Mauremys caspica ) from the southern basin of the Caspian Sea

Abstract

Due to their bioaccumulation and biomagnification pathways, inorganic elements can accumulate in high-level aquatic organisms in the food web. Then, this species can be used to monitor the quality of the environment. Blood concentration of nine inorganic elements, including possible toxic metals (An, Cu, Mn, Se, As, Ni, Cd, Pb, and Hg), in 20 males and 20 females from eight different locations with high industry and agriculture activities in Iran were evaluated in this work. Additionally, size, sex, condition index, and locations were also included and analyzed. Among the essential elements, Zn and Se presented very high concentrations (56.14 ± 2.66 and 8.44 ± 0.77 μg/g ww, respectively) in all locations. Regarding possible toxic elements, Pb and Cd presented concerning concentrations as well (0.52 and 0.58 μg/g ww); this is especially true for Pb, an element found in very high concentrations in tissues of turtles from the same area in a previous study. The sex and the size of the individuals also had significant differences in concentration of Pb, Cd, As, and Hg.

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Severe Thyrotoxicosis Secondary to Povidone-Iodine from Peritoneal Dialysis.

Related Articles

Severe Thyrotoxicosis Secondary to Povidone-Iodine from Peritoneal Dialysis.

Case Rep Endocrinol. 2017;2017:2683120

Authors: Lithgow K, Symonds C

Abstract
A 73-year-old male on home peritoneal dialysis (PD) with recent diagnosis of atrial fibrillation presented with fatigue and dyspnea. Hyperthyroidism was diagnosed with TSH < 0.01 mIU/L and FT4 > 100 pmol/L. He had no personal or family history of thyroid disease. There had been no exposures to CT contrast, amiodarone, or iodine. Technetium thyroid scan showed diffusely decreased uptake. He was discharged with a presumptive diagnosis of thyroiditis. Three weeks later, he had deteriorated clinically. Possible iodine sources were again reviewed, and it was determined that povidone-iodine solution was used with each PD cycle. Methimazole 25 mg daily was initiated; however, he had difficulty tolerating the medication and continued to clinically deteriorate. He was readmitted to hospital where methimazole was restarted at 20 mg bid with high dose prednisone 25 mg and daily plasma exchange (PLEX) therapy. Biochemical improvement was observed with FT4 dropping to 48.5 pmol/L by day 10, but FT4 rebounded to 67.8 pmol/L after PLEX was discontinued. PLEX was restarted and thyroidectomy was performed. Pathology revealed nodular hyperplasia with no evidence of thyroiditis. Preoperative plasma iodine levels were greater than 5 times the upper limit of normal range. We hypothesize that the patient had underlying autonomous thyroid hormone production exacerbated by exogenous iodine exposure from a previously unreported PD-related source.

PMID: 28912982 [PubMed]

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Health-related quality of life in melanoma patients: Impact of melanoma-related limb lymphoedema

Publication date: November 2017
Source:European Journal of Cancer, Volume 85
Author(s): Caroline A. Gjorup, Mogens Groenvold, Helle W. Hendel, Karin Dahlstroem, Krzysztof T. Drzewiecki, Tobias W. Klausen, Lisbet R. Hölmich
AimTo explore health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in recurrence-free melanoma patients, with a focus on the association between melanoma-related limb lymphoedema and HRQoL.MethodsHRQoL was evaluated using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), the breast cancer module (EORTC QLQ-BR23) subscales body image and future perspective, the Functional Assessment for Cancer Therapy-General subscale social/family well-being and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Data were analysed using linear and ordinal logistic regression adjusting for age and gender.ResultsA total of 431 melanoma patients who had undergone wide local excision and axillary or inguinal sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and/or complete lymph node dissection (CLND) participated. No patients had had recurrence of the disease or had received adjuvant radiotherapy. The HRQoL scores improved with time after surgery. Melanoma-related limb lymphoedema was present in 109 patients (25%). Patients with lymphoedema had significantly worse HRQoL scores in the EORTC QLQ-C30 subscales global health status/quality of life, role and social functioning, fatigue, pain and financial difficulties, as well as in the QLQ-BR23 body image subscale. No associations were found between the limb affected (upper or lower limb), clinical stage of lymphoedema, duration of lymphoedema or type of surgery (SLNB or CLND) and HRQoL. We found an interaction with age and gender in the associations between lymphoedema and HRQoL: younger patients and women with lymphoedema had worse social functioning and women had significantly more impaired body image.ConclusionsThe negative impact of melanoma-related limb lymphoedema on HRQoL emphasises the importance of developing strategies for increasing awareness and improving prevention and treatment of lymphoedema.



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Isolated limb perfusion for locally advanced angiosarcoma in extremities: A multi-centre study

Publication date: November 2017
Source:European Journal of Cancer, Volume 85
Author(s): E.A. Huis in 't Veld, D.J. Grünhagen, C. Verhoef, H.G. Smith, A.C.J. van Akkooi, R. Jones, F. van Coevorden, A.J. Hayes, W.J. van Houdt
BackgroundAngiosarcomas are rare and aggressive soft-tissue sarcomas. The only potential curative treatment is complete surgical excision. This study reports the outcome of isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with high-dose melphalan and tumour necrosis factor α for locally advanced angiosarcoma.Material and methodsAll patients who underwent an ILP for angiosarcomas between 1991 and 2016 in three tertiary referral centres were identified from prospectively maintained databases.ResultsA total of 39 patients were included, with a median follow-up of 18 months (interquartile range 6.1–60.8). Of these patients, 23 (58.9%) patients had a complete response (CR) after ILP, 10 (25.6%) had a partial response, 4 (10.3%) had stable disease and 2 (5.1%) patients had progressive disease immediately after ILP. A total of 22 patients developed local progression (56.4%), whereas nine (23.1%) developed distant metastases. The patients with CR had a significantly prolonged median local progression-free survival (PFS) (15.4 versus 7.3 months, p = 0.015) when compared with non-CR patients, and a trend towards better median overall survival (81.2 versus 14.5 months, p = 0.054). Six patients underwent multiple ILPs, whereby the CR rate of the first, second and third ILPs were 60%, 80% and 67%, respectively. Thirteen (33.3%) patients needed further surgical intervention, consisting of resection in eight patients (20.5%) and amputation in five patients (12.8%).ConclusionILP is an effective treatment option for patients with locally advanced angiosarcoma in the extremities, resulting in a high number of CRs, a high limb salvage rate and prolonged local PFS.



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Scholar : Canadian Water Resources Journal / Revue canadienne des ressources hydriques, Volume 42, Issue 3, September 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online

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The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content Canadian Water Resources Journal / Revue canadienne des ressources hydriques, Volume 42, Issue 3, September 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online. This new issue contains the following articles: Original Articles Regional monthly runoff forecast in southern Canada using ANN, K-means, and L-moments techniques Carlos Escalante-Sandoval & Leonardo Amores-Rovelo Pages: 205-222 | DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2017.1290552 Institutional arrangements for assessing and managing cumulative effects on watersheds: Lessons from the Grand River watershed, Ontario, Canada Jania S. Chilima, Jill A.E. Blakely, Bram F. Noble & Robert J. Patrick Pages: 223-236 | DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2017.1292151 Community-based operator training and appropriate certification regimes for Indigenous water and wastewater systems Kerry Black & Edward McBean Pages: 237-247 | DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2017.1294997 Indigenous water, Indigenous voice – a national water strategy for Canada's Indigenous communities Kerry Black & Edward McBean Pages: 248-257 | DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2017.1333044 Ice-jam flood delineation: Challenges and research needs N. Kovachis, B.C. Burrell, M. Huokuna, S. Beltaos, B. Turcotte & M. Jasek Pages: 258-268 | DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2017.1294998 Assessing the suitability of hydrometric data for trend analysis: The 'FlowScreen' package for R Jennifer R. Dierauer, Paul H. Whitfield & Diana M. Allen Pages: 269-275 | DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2017.1290553 Potential phosphorus mobilization from above-soil winter vegetation assessed from laboratory water extractions following freeze–thaw cycles Tatianna M. Lozier & Merrin L. Macrae Pages: 276-288 | DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2017.1331140 Climate reconstructions based on postglacial macrofossil assemblages from four river systems in southwestern Alberta Matthew S. Bolton & Alwynne B. Beaudoin Pages: 289-305 | DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2017.1325716 Browse papers on image & data fusion, GIS, LiDAR & more in the International Journal of Image and Data Fusion's exclusive Editor's Choice collection. To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : Journal of Natural History, Volume 51, Issue 33-34, September 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online

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The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content Journal of Natural History, Volume 51, Issue 33-34, September 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online. This new issue contains the following articles: Original Articles Nine new species of the subgenus Stegana (Oxyphortica) from the Oriental region, with morphological and molecular evidence based on Chinese species (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Nannan Wang, Yuan Zhang, Yu Cheng & Hongwei Chen Pages: 1943-1970 | DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1360960 Two new species and additional distributional records of Acmopolynema Ogloblin (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) from India Sagadai Manickavasagam , Selvaraj Palanivel & Serguei V. Triapitsyn Pages: 1971-1987 | DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1356391 ORIGINAL ARTICLE The genus Cremastobaeus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae: Cremastobaeini) from India Veenakumari Kamalanathan & Prashanth Mohanraj Pages: 1989-2056 | DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1357859 Original Articles Revision of the digger wasps of the Ampulicidae and Heterogynaidae (Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia, with the description of a new species of the enigmatic genus Heterogyna Nagy Ahmed Mostafa Soliman, Neveen Samy Gadallah, Michael Ohl & Hathal Mohammed Al Dhafer Pages: 2057-2085 | DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1355492 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for The American Journal of Family Therapy are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for The American Journal of Family Therapy and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Exploring Patterns of Relationship Between Trauma Symptomization and Family Constellation: Implications for Working With Trauma Presentations in Systemic Practice Emma Gatfield & Raymond Ho Pages: 1-15 | DOI: 10.1080/01926187.2017.1348267 2018 Future Directions Forum JOIN US at the 2018 Future Directions Forum for Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology - June 15-16, 2018 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Amorphous liquid metal electrodes enabled conformable electrochemical therapy of tumors

Publication date: November 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 146
Author(s): Xuyang Sun, Bo Yuan, Wei Rao, Jing Liu
Electrochemical treatment of tumors (EChT) has recently been identified as a very effective way for local tumor therapy. However, hindered by the limited effective area of a single rigid electrode, multiple electrodes are often recruited when tackling large tumors, where too many electrodes not only complicate the clinical procedures but also aggravate patients' pain. Here we present a new conceptual electric stimulation tumor therapy through introducing the injectable liquid metal electrodes, which can adapt to complex tumor shapes so as to achieve desired therapeutic performance. This approach can offer evident merits for dealing with the complex physiological situations, especially for those irregular body cavities like stomach, colon, rectum or even blood vessel etc., which are hard to tackle otherwise. As it was disclosed from the conceptual experiments that, Unlike traditional rigid and uncomfortable electrodes, liquid metal possesses high flexibility to attach to any crooked biological position to deliver and adjust targeted electric field to fulfill anticipated tumor destruction. And such amorphous electrodes exhibit rather enhanced treatment effect of tumors. Further, we also demonstrate that EChT with liquid metal electrodes produced more electrochemical products during electrolysis. Transformations with the shapes of liquid metal provided an easily regulatable strategy to improve EChT efficiency, which can conveniently aid to achieve better output compared to multiple electrodes. In vivo EChT of tumors further clarified the effect of liquid metal electrodes in retarding tumor growth and increasing life spans.



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Hepatitis B surface antigen incorporated in dissolvable microneedle array patch is antigenic and thermostable

Publication date: November 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 145
Author(s): Danielle Poirier, Frédéric Renaud, Vincent Dewar, Laurent Strodiot, Florence Wauters, Jim Janimak, Toshio Shimada, Tatsuya Nomura, Koki Kabata, Koji Kuruma, Takayuki Kusano, Masaki Sakai, Hideo Nagasaki, Takayoshi Oyamada
Alternatives to syringe-based administration are considered for vaccines. Intradermal vaccination with dissolvable microneedle arrays (MNA) appears promising in this respect, as an easy-to-use and painless method. In this work, we have developed an MNA patch (MNAP) made of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and chondroitin sulphate (CS). In swines, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) formulated with the saponin QS-21 as adjuvant, both incorporated in HES-based MNAP, demonstrated the same level of immunogenicity as a commercially available aluminum-adjuvanted HBsAg vaccine, after two immunizations 28 days apart. MNAP application was associated with transient skin reactions (erythema, lump, scab), particularly evident when the antigen was delivered with the adjuvant. The thermostability of the adjuvanted antigen when incorporated in the HES-based matrix was also assessed by storing MNAP at 37, 45 or 50 °C for up to 6 months. We could demonstrate that antigenicity was retained at 37 and 45 °C and only a 10% loss was observed after 6 months at 50 °C. Our results are supportive of MNAP as an attractive alternative to classical syringe-based vaccination.



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Past matrix stiffness primes epithelial cells and regulates their future collective migration through a mechanical memory

Publication date: November 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 146
Author(s): Samila Nasrollahi, Christopher Walter, Andrew J. Loza, Gregory V. Schimizzi, Gregory D. Longmore, Amit Pathak
During morphogenesis and cancer metastasis, grouped cells migrate through tissues of dissimilar stiffness. Although the influence of matrix stiffness on cellular mechanosensitivity and motility are well-recognized, it remains unknown whether these matrix-dependent cellular features persist after cells move to a new microenvironment. Here, we interrogate whether priming of epithelial cells by a given matrix stiffness influences their future collective migration on a different matrix – a property we refer to as the 'mechanical memory' of migratory cells. To prime cells on a defined matrix and track their collective migration onto an adjoining secondary matrix of dissimilar stiffness, we develop a modular polyacrylamide substrate through step-by-step polymerization of different PA compositions. We report that epithelial cells primed on a stiff matrix migrate faster, display higher actomyosin expression, form larger focal adhesions, and retain nuclear YAP even after arriving onto a soft secondary matrix, as compared to their control behavior on a homogeneously soft matrix. Priming on a soft ECM causes a reverse effect. The depletion of YAP dramatically reduces this memory-dependent migration. Our results present a previously unidentified regulation of mechanosensitive collective cell migration by past matrix stiffness, in which mechanical memory depends on YAP activity.

Graphical abstract

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Scholar : These new articles for Journal of the Institute of Conservation are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Journal of the Institute of Conservation and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles A literature review of analytical techniques for materials characterisation of painted textiles—Part 2: spectroscopic and chromatographic analytical instrumentation | Margaret Smith , Karen Thompson & Frances Lennard Pages: 1-15 | DOI: 10.1080/19455224.2017.1365739 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for Aphasiology are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Aphasiology and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Reviews Primary progressive aphasia: a review of neuropsychological tests for the assessment of speech and language disorders Petronilla Battista , Antonio Miozzo, Marco Piccininni, Eleonora Catricalà, Rosa Capozzo, Rosanna Tortelli, Alessandro Padovani, Stefano F. Cappa & Giancarlo Logroscino Pages: 1-20 | DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2017.1378799 QHW publishes new thematic cluster on ADHD International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being (QHW) is an open access peer reviewed scientific journal that provides a forum for the exchange of data, knowledge, theoretical framework and methods on health and well-being.Read the journal's thematic cluster on ADHD today. To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Impaired disengagement of attention and its relationship to emotional distress in infants at high-risk for autism spectrum disorder Susan Bryson, Nancy Garon, Tracey McMullen, Jessica Brian, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Vickie Armstrong, Wendy Roberts, Isabel Smith & Peter Szatmari Pages: 1-15 | DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2017.1372368 2018 Future Directions Forum JOIN US at the 2018 Future Directions Forum for Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology - June 15-16, 2018 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for Contemporary Music Review are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Contemporary Music Review and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Wording New Paths: Text-Based Notation in New Solo Percussion Works by Natasha Anderson, Erik Griswold, and Vanessa Tomlinson Cat Hope Pages: 1-12 | DOI: 10.1080/07494467.2017.1370793 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for Asian Security are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Asian Security and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Views on NATO from Mongolia and the Republic of Korea: Hedging Strategy, and "Perfunctory Partnership"? Sung-Won Yoon, Adiyasuren Jamiyandagva, Vlad Vernygora, Joe Burton, Byambakhand Luguusharv & Munkhtur Dorjraa Pages: 1-15 | DOI: 10.1080/14799855.2017.1361733 Find out more about the issues and challenges in Governing Asia. This collection includes free access papers on security challenges, the Abe and Modi administration, reflections on the Chinese Governance and more. Browse today! To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Comparing touch senses of naïve and expert panels through treated hair swatches. Which associated wordings correlate with hair physical properties?

Abstract

Objectives

The study i) compared sense of touch between a naïve and an expert panels, under visual or blind conditions, using differently treated hair swatches, ii) explored possible common wordings used by both panels and their possible links with some physical properties of hairs.

Methods

Two sets of 15 hair swatches of Caucasian and Chinese origins were differently treated (bleached, permed, brushed, etc) or organized (root-tip vs tip-root). These were evaluated by tactile assessments by two panels (105 naïve consumers and 10 hair experts) under visual or blind conditions, in two geographic locations. A series of 17 defined antonym adjectives, as descriptors, allowed responses of each panel to being scored and their preference mappings to being defined on a like-dislike scale. Hair swatches were measured and assessed by various instrumental techniques (bending, diameter, cuticle cohesion, alignments of hair).

Results

Apart from a few overlaps, all 15 hair swatches were well differentiated by both panels which showed a global agreement, making experts reliable assessors. Only 3 descriptors among 17 correlated with some objective measurements. Tactile-visual assessments differ from those performed tactile-blind in both panels. Agreements between both panels appear, however, closer under tactile-blind conditions.

Conclusion

Trained hair experts were confirmed as reliable representatives of a larger and naïve cohort, viewed as consumers. Hair swatches were well differentiated by both panels, with comparable descriptor rankings.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Growing evidence of the beneficial effects of a marine protein-based dietary supplement for treating hair loss

Summary

Background

Hair loss is a common condition among women with a range of causes including nutritional deficiencies.

Aims

To review the clinical data supporting the use of an oral marine supplement designed to promote hair growth.

Patients/Methods

Adult women with temporary thinning hair. Following an initial pilot study, five randomized, double-blind studies assessed the effectiveness of the oral marine supplement for promoting hair growth. Each study was approved by one or more institutional review boards.

Results

Together, these studies demonstrated the ability of oral marine supplements to increase the growth of terminal and vellus hairs, increase the diameter of terminal and vellus hairs, and decrease hair loss. This product is beneficial for men as well as women.

Conclusions

A dietary supplement containing a marine complex and other natural ingredients can safely and effectively promote hair growth and decrease hair shedding in women and men with thinning hair.

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Current chemotherapeutic regimens for brain metastases treatment

Abstract

Brain metastasis is a common complication in advanced systemic cancer, with an increasing incidence. The diagnosis of brain metastasis historically portended a dismal prognosis. The successful development of effective treatments for patients with brain metastasis is complicated by the differences among cancer subtypes, the limited understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of BM, the impact of the blood-brain barrier, and other factors. There is now renewed interest in treating this often devastating complication of cancer, and in understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease in this "sanctuary" site. Promising treatment strategies include brain-penetrant targeted therapies and immunotherapy, and strategies for enhanced delivery of therapy. This review highlights a selection of these approaches.

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Flap repair of complex pilonidal sinus: a single institution experience

Abstract

Background

Healing of pilonidal cysts after initial excision remains a vexing problem for surgeons. While simple sinus can be managed with success, recurrence of the cyst after primary excision or sizeable sinus often requires a more complex repair; however, the morbidity and ultimate success of these procedures are unknown.

Methods

A retrospective review from 2009 to 2014 of all consecutive patients undergoing surgical intervention for pilonidal cyst disease from a single institution was performed. Management of pilonidal disease after excision with flap coverage was examined. Patient demographics, co-morbidities, procedural data, and post-operative outcomes were analyzed.

Results

Twenty-one flap patients were identified. These included 15 V-Y fasciocutaneous repairs, 5 rotational flaps, and 1 Romberg flap closure. Mean BMI was 32, mean defect size was 8 cm, and the patients have had an average of 1.05 attempts prior to the excision and flap repair. The flap group demonstrated 14% recurrence rate, 33% reoperation rate, and 47% dehiscence rate. Mean time to healing was 36.4 days.

Conclusions

Flap repairs for complex pilonidal cysts have high rates of recurrence, reoperation, and wound dehiscence. However, flap patients represent a more challenging repair with long operative times, blood loss, and large sinus size. Absence of the perfect approach to managing a complex sinus necessitates a thorough description of the problem and a discussion between the surgeon and the patient about the merits of each approach before a decision is made.

Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study.

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Biomarker levels in gingival crevicular fluid of generalized aggressive periodontitis patients after non-surgical periodontal treatment

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment on gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) cytokines in patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP), in relation to clinical parameters.

Materials and methods

Data were obtained from 16 GAgP patients and 15 periodontally healthy controls. Periodontal parameters and GCF biomarker levels were evaluated at baseline and repeated 3 and 6 months after treatment for GAgP subjects. Moderate and deep pocket sites were analyzed separately. The amount of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-9, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-bb), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured using a highly specific and sensitive multiplex bead immunoassay.

Results

At baseline, cytokine levels in the moderate and deep pocket sites of GAgP patients were higher than those of the healthy control sites. In GAgP group, periodontal treatment led to improvement in all examined clinical parameters and resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the total amounts of IL-1β, VEGF, and TNF-α, in comparison to baseline, already 3 months after therapy in both moderate and deep pocket sites and of PDGF-bb in deep sites (p < 0.01). At the concentration level, only IL-1β and VEGF were affected.

Conclusion

Non-surgical treatment of GAgP provided significant clinical benefits leading to a marked decrease in the GCF levels of some pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic cytokines, but not of IL-9 and PDGF-bb.

Clinical relevance

Although the periodontal therapy successfully decreased clinical signs of inflammation, the GCF levels of some inflammatory cytokines were still elevated.

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Septum-based nasal tip plasty : A comparative study between septal extension graft and double-layered conchal cartilage extension graft.

Background: Septal extension graft is currently the most commonly used primary and secondary rhinoplasty technique in Asia because it provides maximal tip projection and rotational controllability. We designed this study to compare the tip projection amount and rotational controllability of the tip support between the septal extension graft based on the L-strut septum and double-layered conchal cartilage graft based on the full septum at the nasal tip. Method: A total 27 consecutive patients who underwent nasal tip plasty with the septal extension graft or double-layered conchal cartilage graft for purely esthetic reasons between March 2014 and July 2016. The nasal tip projection and columellar labial angle in preoperative (T0), immediate postoperative (T1, average 2 weeks after the operation), and postoperative (T2, on average 7 months after the operation) was analyzed with clinical photography Result: 14 patients (Group A) received septal extension graft whereas 13 patients (Group B) received double-layered conchal cartilage graft. 61% and 74% changes in tip projection ratio were immediately achieved and was maintained after surgery for Groups A and B, respectively (T2-T0/T1-T0; p = 0.722 for Group A and B). Therefore, the relapse ratio of this technique was 39% and 26% for Groups A and B. Conclusion: This comparative study between the septal extension graft and double-layered conchal cartilage graft showed that both nasal tip plasties are similar in terms of stability. Considering the fact that the double-layered conchal cartilage graft could preserve septal support, this technique could become an effective and safe alternative option for rhinoplasty. (C)2017American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Dissected - Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator Flap (MILD-DIEP): An Anatomic Feasibility Study and a First Clinical Case.

SUMMARY: The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is a workhorse of breast reconstruction. Risks of herniation derive from violation of the rectus abdominis muscle anterior rectus sheath (ARS) and might be reduced by Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Dissection (MILD) of the deep inferior epigastric vessels. We performed a feasibility study on five anatomical subjects and performed a secondary right breast reconstruction on a 67 year-old woman. A 30[degrees] laparoscope was used with laparoscopy ports inset to preserve the flap. Blunt preperitoneal dissection followed by CO2 insufflation allowed the deep inferior epigastric (DIE) pedicle to be dissected and clip-sectioned. The ARS was opened around the perforating vessels, and the flap was anastomosed on the internal mammary vessels. Length of incision in the ARS was compared between laparoscopic and conventional approaches. The mean incision length in the ARS was 3 cm versus 12 cm in the classic approach. Average duration of laparoscopic flap harvest was 50 minutes, including a mean of 30 minutes for DIE dissection. Adhesions led to a 1 cm peritoneal laceration in our first anatomical subject. There were no pre- or post-operative complications in the clinical case. The clinical procedure duration was 8h15 minutes with the ARS incision reduced from the conventional 12 cm to 5 cm. Flap ischemia lasted 50 minutes. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5. This anatomic study and first successful laparoscopic assisted DIEP flap harvest prove that reduced trauma to the anterior rectus sheath is feasible and promising. (C)2017American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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22 Cases of BIA-ALCL: Awareness and Outcome Tracking from the Italian Ministry of Health.

Background: To date, 359 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma in women with breast implants (BIA-ALCL) worldwide have been reported out of more than 10 million implanted patients but Health Care Authorities suspect this is a possible underestimation and the limited number of cases makes it difficult to clarify its etiology. The General Directorate of Medical Devices and Pharmaceutical Services of the Italian Ministry of Health (IMoH) has examined and studied the Italian BIA-ALCL cases, and the aim of this study is to report on the knowledge and experience gained on this new emerging disease. Patients and Methods: An official document has been diffused by the IMoH to all the Italian medical associations, aiming at encouraging all physicians to notify each BIA-ALCL case through the compilation of a specific on-line form. A retrospective study has been performed on the notified BIA-ALCL cases collected in the IMoH's database named DISPOVIGILANCE. Results: Research on DISPOVIGILANCE gives back a list of 22 Italian BIA-ALCL cases. The patients' mean age was 49.6 years (range 30 -71). The average time to the onset of the symptoms was 6.8 years (range 1-22). The average time to the diagnosis was 7.8 years (range 4 -22). The estimated incidence of the Italian BIA-ALCL cases related to 2015 is 2.8 per 100.000 patients. Conclusions: The BIA-ALCL pathogenesis remains unknown. The Italian Ministry of Health, together with scientific associations and other Competent Authorities worldwide, is working on the BIA-ALCL issue to increase awareness and knowledge of this disease by healthcare professionals. (C)2017American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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The Expanded Use of Auto-augmentation Techniques in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery.

Background: Auto-augmentation techniques have been applied to oncoplastic reductions to assist with filling larger, more remote defects and women with smaller breasts. The purpose of this report is to describe the use of auto-augmentation techniques in OR and compare the results with traditional OR. Methods: We queried a prospectively maintained database of all women who underwent partial mastectomy and OR between 1994 and October 2015. The auto-augmentation techniques were defined as 1) extended primary nipple auto-augmentation pedicle, and 2) primary nipple pedicle and secondary auto-augmentation pedicle. Comparisons were made to a control oncoplastic group. Results: There were a total of 333 patients, 222 patients (67.7%) without auto-augmentation and 111 patients (33%) with auto-augmentation. Fifty-one patients had extended auto-augmentation pedicle, and 60 patients with a secondary auto-augmentation pedicle. Biopsy weight was smallest in the extended pedicle group (136 grams) and largest in the regular oncoplastic group (235 grams, p=0.017). Superomedial was the most common extended pedicle and lateral being the most common location. Inferorolateral was the most common secondary pedicle for lateral and upper outer defects. There were no significant differences in the overall complication rate: 15.5% in the regular oncoplastic group, 19.6% in the extended pedicle group, and 20% in the secondary pedicle group. Conclusions: Auto-augmentation techniques have evolved to manage complex defects not amenable to standard oncoplastic reduction methods. They are often required for lateral defects especially in smaller breasts. Auto-augmentation can be done safely without increase risk of complications, broadening the indications for breast conservation therapy. (C)2017American Society of Plastic Surgeons

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Internal phosphorus load in a Mexican reservoir through sediment speciation analysis

Abstract

Since the sequential extraction of phosphorus (P) in sediment makes it possible to determine the P potentially available for release, in this paper, we evaluate the fractions of P in sediment profiles from Valle de Bravo reservoir, a eutrophic lake in central Mexico to determine the contributions of each fraction to the internal P load (IPL). The P fractionation scheme employs sequential extractions of sediment with O₂-free water (MilliQ), bicarbonate-dithionite (BD), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and potassium persulfate (K₂S₂O₈-) to obtain five P fractions. A monitoring of redox potential (Eh), pH, and total phosphorus (TP) in the bottom water of the reservoir indicated variations of these parameters during the year, observing that as Eh decreased, the P concentration increased, it was also observed that when increasing pH, P concentration also increased. Analyzing the behavior of fractions of P in sediment profiles, we found that the dominant fractions are those bound to iron and aluminum oxides, corresponding to approximately 50% of total P since P concentrations of these fractions were twice as high in the top 5 cm of the sediment profiles and decreased with increasing depth. Considering the variations of Eh and pH in the bottom water of the reservoir and that these parameters are factors that control the release of P with the fractions of P bound to Fe/Mn and Al/Fe oxides, we concluded that these fractions contribute most to P potentially available for release in the reservoir, representing a possible IPL of 23.5 ± 1.4 t/year.

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Modeling the pH and temperature dependence of aqueousphase hydroxyl radical reaction rate constants of organic micropollutants using QSPR approach

Abstract

Designing of advanced oxidation process (AOP) requires knowledge of the aqueous phase hydroxyl radical (^●OH) reactions rate constants (k _OH), which are strictly dependent upon the pH and temperature of the medium. In this study, pH- and temperature-dependent quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models based on the decision tree boost (DTB) approach were developed for the prediction of k _OH of diverse organic contaminants following the OECD guidelines. Experimental datasets (n = 958) pertaining to the k _OH values of aqueous phase reactions at different pH (n = 470; 1.4 × 10⁶ to 3.8 × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹ s⁻¹) and temperature (n = 171; 1.0 × 10⁷ to 2.6 × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹ s⁻¹) were considered and molecular descriptors of the compounds were derived. The Sanderson scale electronegativity, topological polar surface area, number of double bonds, and halogen atoms in the molecule, in addition to the pH and temperature, were found to be the relevant predictors. The models were validated and their external predictivity was evaluated in terms of most stringent criteria parameters derived on the test data. High values of the coefficient of determination (R ²) and small root mean squared error (RMSE) in respective training (> 0.972, ≤ 0.12) and test (≥ 0.936, ≤ 0.16) sets indicated high generalization and predictivity of the developed QSPR model. Other statistical parameters derived from the training and test data also supported the robustness of the models and their suitability for screening new chemicals within the defined chemical space. The developed QSPR models provide a valuable tool for predicting the ^●OH reaction rate constants of emerging new water contaminants for their susceptibility to AOPs.

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