Visible light-driven degradation of Acid Orange 7 by light modulation techniques.

The impact of light modulation on the decolorization of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) in aqueous solution was examined in this paper. A fixed bed batch photocatalytic reactor with a flat plate geometry, irradiated by 240 white-light LEDs, was used. A successful transfer of visible active photocatalyst (N-TiO) in powder form on a polystyrene (PS) transparent plate was realized.

Intraoperative cardiac function assessment by transesophageal echocardiography versus FloTrac/Vigileo™ system during pectus excavatum surgical repair.

Background: Pectus excavatum (PE), a congenital deformity of the chest wall, can lead to cardiac compression and related symptoms. PE surgical repair can improve cardiac function. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been successfully employed to assess intraoperative hemodynamic variations in patients undergoing PE repair.

Pain control and functional improvement in patients treated by autologous conditioned serum after failure of platelet rich plasma treatments in knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of autologous conditioned serum (ACS) for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis after failure of medical treatments and platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Prior to prosthetic surgery these patients might benefit from medical treatments, physiotherapy, and in case of their ineffectiveness, from autologous blood component injections.

Drug use and abuse and the risk of adverse events in soccer players: results from a survey in Italian second league players.

Drug use in athletes has been frequently investigated in the last three decades, especially regarding its misuse for doping. However, little is known about the use of permitted drugs for medical purposes and less studies have investigated the relationship between adverse drugs reactions (ADRs) and sports. An observational cross-sectional investigation analyzing a group of second league soccer players (the second-highest division in Italy) was performed.

Synergistic and antagonistic effects of distilled extract and its major components on drug resistant clinical isolates.

In this study we determine the antimicrobial activities of distilled extract and compounds isolated from such extract against clinical MDR strains. The activity of these substances were tested using a broth microdilution assay, their MBC and their FBC to evaluate the nature of the interactions in tested components. Among Gram negative bacteria and exhibited the higher MBC values range (2.

The influence of Arctic amplification on mid-latitude summer circulation.

Accelerated warming in the Arctic, as compared to the rest of the globe, might have profound impacts on mid-latitude weather. Most studies analyzing Arctic links to mid-latitude weather focused on winter, yet recent summers have seen strong reductions in sea-ice extent and snow cover, a weakened equator-to-pole thermal gradient and associated weakening of the mid-latitude circulation. We review the scientific evidence behind three leading hypotheses on the influence of Arctic changes on mid-latitude summer weather: Weakened storm tracks, shifted jet streams, and amplified quasi-stationary waves.

Expression of teneurins is associated with tumor differentiation and patient survival in ovarian cancer.

Teneurins are a family of highly conserved pair-rule proteins involved in morphogenesis and development of the central nervous system. Their function in adult tissues and in disease is largely unknown. Recent evidence suggests a role for dysregulated expression of Teneurins in human tumors, but systematic investigations are missing.

Apocynin inhibits the upregulation of TGF-β1 expression and ROS production induced by TGF-β in skeletal muscle cells.

Background: Pure apocynin, which can be traditionally isolated and purified from several plant species such as Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth (Scrophulariaceae), acts as an inhibitor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX) activity inhibiting its production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Transforming growth factor type beta 1 (TGF-β1) is a growth factor that produces inhibition of myogenesis, diminution of regeneration and induction of atrophy in skeletal muscle. The typical signalling that is activated by TGF-β involves the Smad pathway.

Endotoxin-induced skeletal muscle wasting is prevented by angiotensin-(1-7) through a p38 MAPK-dependent mechanism.

Skeletal muscle atrophy induced during sepsis syndrome produced by endotoxin in the form of LPS (lipopolysaccharide), is a pathological condition characterized by the loss of strength and muscle mass, an increase in MHC (myosin heavy chain) degradation, and an increase in the expression of atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 (muscle-specific RING-finger protein 1), two ubiquitin E3 ligases belonging to the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Ang-(1-7) [Angiotensin-(1-7)], through its Mas receptor, has beneficial effects in skeletal muscle. We evaluated in vivo the role of Ang-(1-7) and Mas receptor on the muscle wasting induced by LPS injection into C57BL/10J mice.

Toward an objective measure of functional disability in dysferlinopathy.

Introduction: Understanding the natural history of dysferlinopathy is essential to design and quantify novel therapeutic protocols. Our aim in this study was to assess, clinically and functionally, a cohort of patients with dysferlinopathy, using validated scales.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with genetically confirmed dysferlinopathy were assessed using the motor function measure (MFM), Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), Muscle Research Council (MRC) scale, serum creatine kinase (CK) assessment, baseline spirometry data, and echocardiographic and electrophysiologic studies.

Cutaneous silent period recordings in demyelinating and axonal polyneuropathies.

Objective: To investigate the cutaneous silent period (CSP), a spinal inhibitory reflex mainly mediated by A-delta fibres, in demyelinating and axonal polyneuropathy (PNP) and evaluate whether CSP parameters differ between patients with and without neuropathic pain.

Methods: Eighty-four patients with demyelinating PNP, 178 patients with axonal PNP and 265 controls underwent clinical examination, DN4 questionnaire, standard nerve conduction study, motor-root stimulation and CSP recordings from abductor digiti minimi. We calculated the afferent conduction time of CSP (a-CSP time) with the formula: CSP latency-root motor evoked potential latency.

Association of genetic variants at TOX3, 2q35 and 8q24 with the risk of familial and early-onset breast cancer in a South-American population.

Recent Genome-Wide Association Studies have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with breast cancer (BC) among women of Asian, European, and African-American ancestry. Nevertheless, the contribution of these variants in the South American population is unknown. Furthermore, there is little information about the effect of these risk alleles in women with early BC diagnosis.

Genetic variants in FGFR2 and MAP3K1 are associated with the risk of familial and early-onset breast cancer in a South-American population.

Genome-Wide Association Studies have identified several loci associated with breast cancer (BC) in populations of different ethnic origins. One of the strongest associations was found in the FGFR2 gene, and MAP3K1 has been proposed as a low-penetrance BC risk factor. In this study, we evaluated the associations among FGFR2 SNPs rs2981582, rs2420946, and rs1219648; and MAP3K1 rs889312, with BC risk in 351 BRCA1/2-negative Chilean BC cases and 802 controls.

Systemic and organ dysfunction response during infusion of recombinant human activated protein C (rhAPC) in severe sepsis and septic shock.

Aim: The aim of this study was the assessment of the efficacy of recombinant human activated protein C (rhAPC) in septic patients.

Methods: A continuous observational prospective study on ICU patients with severe sepsis and septic shock was carried out. Applying the inclusion criteria of a national trial on the use of rhAPC, 15 patients (12 males and 3 females) were enrolled, mean age was 65.

Sepsis and organ dysfunction: an ongoing challenge.

In recent years the problem of infection has become increasingly significant, especially in intensive care hospital wards such as Intensive Care Units (ICU), emergency medicine, surgery and critically ill patient care departments. Sepsis is a complex, multifactorial syndrome that can develop into conditions of different severity, described as severe sepsis or septic shock. In these conditions the triggering event may coincide with the functional impairment of one or more vital organs or systems, thus leading to poorer prognosis in patients with overt signs of sepsis or systemic inflammation syndromes.

Perioperative management and monitoring of a super-obese patient.

Anesthetic management of super-obese patients is inferred from evidence which has been based on obese or morbidly obese patients. We present the perioperative management and monitoring of a 44-year-old 232-kg patient (BMI 70) admitted for laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. Awake fiberoptic endotracheal intubation preceded induction with propofol and rocuronium.

C3 synthesis and CRs expression during differentiation of a murine stem cell line.

C3 production, release and CRs expression during the neutrophilic differentiation of a murine non tumorigenic cell line is investigated. The murine non tumorigenic cell line 32DCl3(G) which undergoes terminal differentiation into polymorphonuclear granulocytes when cultured in presence of G-CSF was selected as a suitable in vitro model for this study. The results show that as the cells progress into the differentiation program, levels of C3 mRNA increase, accompanied by increased C3 production.

Transplantation of irradiated heterotopic segmental human pancreas.

The results of three irradiated segmental pancreatic autotransplantations in patients with cancer of the pancreatic head are presented. The grafts with ligated ducts were irradiated with 5000 or 2000 rad. Following irradiation, the pancreatic tails that were tumor-free at the section line were autotransplanted by anastomosing the splenic vessels to the common femoral vessels.