Pulling the plug on a pseudomonas outbreak: ancillary equipment as vectors of infection.

Objectives: Outbreaks of infection related to flexible endoscopes are well described. However, flexible endoscopy also requires the use of ancillary equipment such as irrigation plugs. These are potential vectors of infection but are infrequently highlighted in the literature.

Observing many researchers using the same data and hypothesis reveals a hidden universe of uncertainty.

This study explores how researchers' analytical choices affect the reliability of scientific findings. Most discussions of reliability problems in science focus on systematic biases. We broaden the lens to emphasize the idiosyncrasy of conscious and unconscious decisions that researchers make during data analysis.

Undiagnosed Behçet's Disease Presenting as Fournier's Gangrene in a Young Male.

Behçet's disease is rare, especially in the paediatric population. In this case, a healthy 16-year-old made presented with discrete scrotal ulcers and systemic illness. He was found to have Fournier's gangrene and with subsequent investigation was diagnosed with Behçet's disease as an underlying cause.

ARDD 2020: from aging mechanisms to interventions.

Aging is emerging as a druggable target with growing interest from academia, industry and investors. New technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced screening techniques, as well as a strong influence from the industry sector may lead to novel discoveries to treat age-related diseases. The present review summarizes presentations from the 7 Annual Aging Research and Drug Discovery (ARDD) meeting, held online on the 1 to 4 of September 2020.

Anti-Müllerian hormone and embryo quality as determined by time-lapse imaging.

Background: There is conflicting evidence as to whether serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is a biomarker of oocyte quality in addition to its known role in assessing ovarian reserve. This study aims to examine the relationship between AMH and embryo potential as assessed by time-lapse imaging (TLI).

Methods: A total of 106 embryos from 67 patients were included in the study.

Defective FasL expression is associated with increased resistance to melanoma liver metastases and enhanced natural killer cell activity.

The objective was to determine if the absence of FasL signaling would affect melanoma liver metastases by influencing the antimelanoma properties of liver natural killer (NK) cells. Melanoma liver metastases were induced in wild-type C57BL/6 mice and the gld/gld mutant C57BL/6 mouse strain that expresses a defective form of FasL (CD95L) that fails to engage and signal via the Fas receptor (CD95). Liver metastases were produced by intrasplenic injection of B16LS9 melanoma cells.

Induction of Contrasuppressor Cells and Loss of Immune Privilege Produced by Corneal Nerve Ablation.

Purpose: Severing of corneal nerves in preparation of corneal transplantation abolishes immune privilege of subsequent corneal transplants placed into either eye: a phenomenon termed sympathetic loss of immune privilege (SLIP). SLIP is due to the disabling of T regulatory cells (Tregs) by CD11c+ contrasuppressor (CS) cells. This study characterized the induction, function, and manipulation of CS cell activity and the effect of these cells on Tregs induced by anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID).

Effect of Corneal Nerve Ablation on Immune Tolerance Induced by Corneal Allografts, Oral Immunization, or Anterior Chamber Injection of Antigens.

Purpose: Severing corneal nerves during corneal transplantation does not affect first corneal transplants, but abolishes immune privilege of subsequent corneal allografts. This abrogation of immune privilege is attributable to the disabling of T regulatory cells (T regs) induced by corneal transplantation. The goal of this study was to determine if severing corneal nerves induces the development of contrasuppressor (CS) cells, which disable T regs that impair other forms of immune tolerance.

Undermining and Strengthening Social Networks through Network Modification.

Social networks have well documented effects at the individual and aggregate level. Consequently it is often useful to understand how an attempt to influence a network will change its structure and consequently achieve other goals. We develop a framework for network modification that allows for arbitrary objective functions, types of modification (e.

A case of Fournier's gangrene in a young immunocompetent male patient resulting from a delayed diagnosis of appendicitis.

We discuss the case of a 28-year-old male patient presenting to our department with an atypical history of acute scrotal swelling on a background of abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with a perforated appendicitis and Fournier's gangrene.

Immunocytochemical detection of ERG expression in exfoliated urinary cells identifies with high specificity patients with prostate cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the immunocytochemical detection of ERG protein in exfoliated cells as a means of identifying patients with prostate cancer (PCa) before prostate biopsy.

Materials And Methods: Urine samples (30 mL) were collected after digital rectal examination (DRE) from 159 patients with an elevated age-specific prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and/or an abnormal DRE who underwent prostate biopsy. In all cases, exfoliated urinary cells from half of the urine sample underwent immunocytochemical assessment for ERG protein expression.

Extracellular Xylanolytic and Pectinolytic Hydrolase Production by Aspergillus flavus Isolates Contributes to Crop Invasion.

Several atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates, including some being used as biocontrol agents, and one toxigenic isolate were surveyed for the ability to produce extracellular xylanolytic and pectinolytic hydrolases. All of the tested isolates displayed good production of endoxylanases when grown on a medium utilizing larch xylan as a sole carbon substrate. Four of the tested isolates produced reasonably high levels of esterase activity, while the atoxigenic biocontrol agent NRRL 21882 isolate esterase level was significantly lower than the others.

Severing corneal nerves in one eye induces sympathetic loss of immune privilege and promotes rejection of future corneal allografts placed in either eye.

Less than 10% of corneal allografts undergo rejection even though HLA matching is not performed. However, second corneal transplants experience a threefold increase in rejection, which is not due to prior sensitization to histocompatibility antigens shared by the first and second transplants since corneal grafts are selected at random without histocompatibility matching. Using a mouse model of penetrating keratoplasty, we found that 50% of the initial corneal transplants survived, yet 100% of the subsequent corneal allografts (unrelated to the first graft) placed in the opposite eye underwent rejection.

Growth inhibitory effects of gossypol and related compounds on fungal cotton root pathogens.

Unlabelled: The effect of the terpenoids gossypol, 6-methoxygossypol, 6,6'-dimethoxygossypol, gossypolone and apogossypolone on growth of fungal soil pathogens was investigated. The compounds were tested at a concentration of 100 μg ml(-1) in a Czapek Dox agar medium at 25°C. Gossypol, gossypolone and apogossypolone demonstrated strong growth inhibitory activity (≥90%) against Pythium irregulare, Pythium ultimum and Fusarium oxysporum.

The role of transperineal template prostate biopsies in prostate cancer diagnosis in biopsy naïve men with PSA less than 20 ng ml(-1.).

Background: To compare prostate cancer detection rates between transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) prostate biopsy and transperineal template prostate biopsy (TPTPB) in biopsy naïve men. TRUS biopsy is still regarded as gold standard for prostate cancer diagnosis. TPTPB has been shown to improve prostate cancer detection in men with rising PSA and previous negative TRUS biopsies.

Anaphylactic reaction to intraurethral chlorhexidine: sensitisation following previous repeated uneventful administration.

Instillagel(®) (CliniMed, High Wycombe, UK) is commonly used in urethral catheterisation and to facilitate the passage of instruments into the bladder in urological practice. Its active ingredients include 0.25% chlorhexidine, 2% lidocaine, 0.

Comet assay measures of DNA damage are predictive of bladder cancer cell treatment sensitivity in vitro and outcome in vivo.

Bladder cancer patients suffer significant treatment failure, including high rates of recurrence and poor outcomes for advanced disease. If mechanisms to improve tumour cell treatment sensitivity could be identified and/or if tumour response could be predicted, it should be possible to improve local-control and survival. Previously, we have shown that radiation-induced DNA damage, measured by alkaline Comet assay (ACA), correlates bladder cancer cell radiosensitivity in vitro.

Effects of temperature and medium composition on inhibitory activities of gossypol-related compounds against aflatoxigenic fungi.

Aims: To investigate the effects of temperature and medium composition on growth/aflatoxin inhibitory activities of terpenoids gossypol, gossypolone and apogossypolone against Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus.

Methods And Results: The compounds were tested at a concentration of 100 μg ml(-1) in a Czapek Dox (Czapek) agar medium at 25, 31 and 37°C.

Epigenetic regulation of CXCR4 expression by the ocular microenvironment.

Purpose: Expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 by tumors is associated with metastatic migration and invasion of tumor cells. The importance of CXCR4 expression by uveal melanomas in metastasis to the liver was recently demonstrated when injection of CXCR4-negative uveal melanoma cells into mice resulted in reduced liver metastasis compared with CXCR4-positive uveal melanoma cells. Factors in the eye can induce downregulation of genes by epigenetic mechanisms.

Inhibition of STAT signalling in bladder cancer by diindolylmethane: relevance to cell adhesion, migration and proliferation.

Effective treatments to prevent recurrence or progression of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, or to inhibit metastasis of muscle-invasive forms of the disease, would deliver significant patient benefit. Here the involvement of STAT signalling and the chemopreventive potential of diindolylmethane (DIM) in human bladder cancer were investigated. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer tissues were characterised by nuclear expression of phosphorylated STAT1, 3 and 5.

Effectiveness of manual physical therapy in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy: a systematic review.

Study Design: Systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Objective: Review of current literature regarding the effectiveness of manual therapy in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy.

Background: Cervical radiculopathy (CR) is a clinical condition frequently encountered in the physical therapy clinic.

Defining prostate cancer risk before prostate biopsy.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. At present, patients are selected for prostate biopsy on the basis of age, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), and prostatic digital rectal examination (DRE) findings. However, due to limitations in the use of PSA and DRE, many patients undergo unnecessary prostate biopsy.

Inhibitory effects of gossypol, gossypolone, and apogossypolone on a collection of economically important filamentous fungi.

Racemic gossypol and its related derivatives gossypolone and apogossypolone demonstrated significant growth inhibition against a diverse collection of filamentous fungi that included Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus alliaceus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium moniliforme, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium corylophilum, and Stachybotrys atra. The compounds were tested in a Czapek agar medium at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. Racemic gossypol and apogossypolone inhibited growth by up to 95%, whereas gossypolone effected 100% growth inhibition in all fungal isolates tested except A.