Relation between interleukin-13 and annexin-V levels and carotid intima-media thickness in nephrotic syndrome.

Background And Aim: The aim of the current study is to assess the relation between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements, renal Doppler resistive index (RI) and serum levels of interleukin-13 (IL-13) and annexin-V (An-V) in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS).

Materials And Methods: The present case-control study was conducted on 60 children with INS and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy children. All participants were subjected to evaluation of serum levels of IL-13 and An-V and ultrasound Doppler measurement of CIMT and renal RI.

Delta Radiomic Features Predict Resection Margin Status and Overall Survival in Neoadjuvant-Treated Pancreatic Cancer Patients.

Background: Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) emerged as the standard of care for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who undergo surgery; however, surgery is morbid, and tools to predict resection margin status (RMS) and prognosis in the preoperative setting are needed. Radiomic models, specifically delta radiomic features (DRFs), may provide insight into treatment dynamics to improve preoperative predictions.

Methods: We retrospectively collected clinical, pathological, and surgical data (patients with resectable, borderline, locally advanced, and metastatic disease), and pre/post-NAT contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans from PDAC patients at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW; discovery) and Humanitas Hospital (validation cohort).

Local Control Following Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Liver Oligometastases: Lessons from a Quarter Century.

The utilization of stereotactic body radiation therapy for the treatment of liver metastasis has been widely studied and has demonstrated favorable local control outcomes. However, several predictive factors play a crucial role in the efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy, such as the number and size (volume) of metastatic liver lesions, the primary tumor site (histology), molecular biomarkers (e.g.

Evaluation of circulating insulin-like growth factor-1, heart-type fatty acid-binding protein, and endotrophin levels as prognostic markers of COVID-19 infection severity.

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a worldwide pandemic challenge spreading enormously within a few months. COVID-19 is characterized by the over-activation of the immune system causing cytokine storm. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway can regulate the immune response via interaction with various implicated cytokines.

Maximize the use of municipal waste generated by the hydrogen peroxide industry in the production of high-quality refractory CAC.

High-grade calcium aluminate cement (CAC) has been successfully synthesized from municipal alumina waste and limestone under mild reaction conditions. Mineralogical composition and microstructure of the sintered mixes were investigated using X-ray diffraction and FESEM; valuable cementing phases such as CA, CA, and CA were observed in addition to the CA phase that was detected in the mixes with high CaCO content. Mix CA60 containing 60 wt% alumina waste has achieved the best sinterability (less than 1 vol% porosity) and the highest densification (~ 2.

Simulated dose painting of hypoxic sub-volumes in pancreatic cancer stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Dose painting of hypoxic tumour sub-volumes using positron-emission tomography (PET) has been shown to improve tumour controlin several sites, predominantly head and neck and lung cancers. Pancreatic cancer presents a more stringent challenge, given its proximity to critical gastro-intestinal organs-at-risk (OARs), anatomic motion, and impediments to reliable PET hypoxia quantification. A radiobiological model was developed to estimate clonogen survival fraction (SF), usingF-fluoroazomycin arabinoside PET (FAZA PET) images from ten patients with unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to quantify oxygen enhancement effects.

Considerations for using Natalizumab treatment in patients with a history of choroidal melanoma.

Natalizumab is a monoclonal antibody licensed for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). It is known to increase the potential risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). There is current debate in the literature regarding its association with malignant melanoma.

Nano-alumina powders/ceramics derived from aluminum foil waste at low temperature for various industrial applications.

In this work, nanoscale single crystalline γ- and α-alumina powders have been successfully prepared from aluminum foil waste precursor via co-precipitation method using NH4OH as a precipitant. The obtained gel after co-precipitation treatment, was calcined at different temperatures (500,700, 900, 1050, 1100, 1300 and 1500 °C) and the products were characterized by XRD, FTIR and HRTEM. The results revealed that nano-γ-Al2O3 was fully transformed to nanometer-sized α-Al2O3 (36-200 nm) after annealing at temperatures as low as 1100 °C.

WIDESPREAD MACULAR NEUROSENSORY DETACHMENT AFTER OCRIPLASMIN INTRAVITREAL INJECTION.

Purpose: To present the case of a patient with vitreomacular traction who experienced immediate severe acute complications after ocriplasmin intravitreal injection.

Methods: Case report.

Results: A 61-year-old woman with vitreomacular traction underwent ocriplasmin treatment.

Combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium.

We report two cases of combined hamatoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (CHR-RPE), illustrated with ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography, fundus fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography images. CHR-RPE could clinically mimic several other retinal conditions. Failure to distinguish it from serious malignancies such as choroidal melanoma or retinoblastoma has led to unnecessary enucleation in the past.

Repair of macular fold following retinal reattachment surgery.

Here the management of a macular fold complicating retinal reattachment surgery is discussed. The macular fold was repaired by a technique similar to that used in retinal translocation surgery. Direct injection into the macular fold was performed, which caused a linear, rather than the intended concentric, detachment of the retina.

Safety testing of infracyanine green using retinal pigment epithelium and glial cell cultures.

Purpose: To undertake safety testing of infracyanine green (IFCG) in a cell culture model.

Methods: Experiments were undertaken in a cell culture model used previously to perform safety testing of indocyanine green (ICG). Human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Müller cells were exposed to IFCG for 5 minutes, over a range of concentrations up to 0.

Pattern ERG correlates of abnormal fundus autofluorescence in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and normal visual acuity.

Purpose: To examine the functional significance of central abnormalities present in fundus autofluorescence (AF) images in patients with rod-cone dystrophy and good visual acuity.

Methods: Thirty patients were selected according to three criteria: a clinical diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) confirmed with International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) standard ERGs, a parafoveal ring of increased high density on fundus AF imaging, and a visual acuity of 20/30 or better. Macular function was assessed with pattern electroretinography (PERG) to checkerboard stimuli of different field sizes.

Amyloid-beta peptide is toxic to neurons in vivo via indirect mechanisms.

We have studied the neurotoxicity of amyloid-beta (Abeta) after a single unilateral intravitreal injection. Within the retina apoptotic cells were seen throughout the photoreceptor layer and the inner nuclear layer but not in the ganglion cell layer at 48 h after injection of Abeta(1-42) compared to vehicle control and control peptide. At 5 months, there was a significant reduction in total cell numbers in the ganglion cell layer in Nissl stained retinas.