Progressive natural killer cell dysfunction in advanced-stage clear-cell renal cell carcinoma and association with clinical outcomes.

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells are important contributors to antitumor immunity in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, their phenotype, function, and association with clinical outcomes in ccRCC remain poorly understood.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data from 13 primary tumors, 1 localized tumor extension, and 1 metastasis from ccRCC patients at different clinical stages.

Development of Antimicrobial Blends of Bacteria Nanocellulose Derived from Plastic Waste and Polyhydroxybutyrate Enhanced with Essential Oils.

The escalating global concern regarding plastic waste accumulation and its detrimental environmental impact has driven the exploration of sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics. This study investigates the development of antimicrobial blends of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) derived from plastic waste and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHB), further enhanced with essential oils. The antimicrobial activity of the resulting BNC/PHB blends was tested in vitro against , , and .

Investigation of Thermal, Mechanical and Shape Memory Properties of 3D-Printed Functionally Graded Nanocomposite Materials.

In this study, a 3D-printed photocurable resin was developed by incorporating graphene nanoplatelets functionalised with melamine to investigate the thermal, mechanical, fracture and shape memory behaviours. The objective of this work was to produce a printed functionally graded nanocomposite material that has a smart temperature-responsive structure; presents good thermal stability, strength and fracture toughness; and can demonstrate shape-changing motions, such as sequential transformations, over time. The functionalised graphene nanoplatelets were examined via thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy.

Presynaptic dysfunction in CASK-related neurodevelopmental disorders.

CASK-related disorders are genetically defined neurodevelopmental syndromes. There is limited information about the effects of CASK mutations in human neurons. Therefore, we sought to delineate CASK-mutation consequences and neuronal effects using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons from two mutation carriers.

Cecum intubation rate as quality indicator in clinical versus screening colonoscopy.

Background And Study Aims: Some guidelines recommend a minimum standard of 90 % cecal intubation rate (CIR) in routine clinics and 95 % in screening colonoscopy, while others have not made this distinction - both with limited evidence to support either view. This study questions the rationale for making such differentiation.

Patients And Methods:  We assessed cecum intubation rates amongst colonoscopies recorded in the Norwegian national quality register Gastronet by 35 endoscopists performing both clinical and screening colonoscopies.

Patient-reported adverse events after colonoscopy in Norway.

 Patient-reported outcome measures are increasingly important in healthcare. European guidelines have recommended inclusion of patient feedback to capture adverse events due to colonoscopy, but this is rarely implemented.  The Norwegian Quality Assurance network for endoscopy (Gastronet) collects patient-reported outcome for colonoscopies.

An explorative study from the Norwegian Quality Register Gastronet comparing self-estimated versus registered quality in colonoscopy performance.

Background And Study Aims: The value of a colonoscopy quality assurance (QA) register may be questioned if it brings no new information on which to act for quality improvement, e. g. if self-assessed quality of colonoscopy performance correlates perfectly with registered performance.

Time trends in quality indicators of colonoscopy.

Background: There is considerable variation in the quality of colonoscopy performance. The Norwegian quality assurance programme Gastronet registers outpatient colonoscopies performed in Norwegian endoscopy centres. The aim of Gastronet is long-term improvement of endoscopist and centre performance by annual feedback of performance data.

[Pain in connection with colonoscopy in Norway].

Background: Colonoscopies are common examinations at Norwegian hospitals. In contrast to many other countries, the majority of colonoscopies in Norway are conducted without routine sedation or analgesia. We wanted to investigate whether current Norwegian practice offers adequate pain relief.

Withdrawal time as a quality indicator for colonoscopy - a nationwide analysis.

Background And Study Aims: A withdrawal time of at least 6 min has been recommended as a quality indicator for colonoscopy. One drawback of many of the studies that have investigated withdrawal time and produced conflicting results has been their single-center design involving few endoscopists. Therefore, the validity of withdrawal time as a quality measure remains unclear.

Incontinence after colonoscopy--an unrecognized and preventable problem. A cross-sectional study from the Gastronet quality assurance program.

Background: Colonoscopy requires insufflation of gas for visualization of the bowel wall. Worldwide, this is usually done using air. The aim of the present study was to assess the risk of postcolonoscopy incontinence, and to investigate whether insufflation of CO₂ instead of air may reduce this risk, since it is easily absorbed through the bowel mucosa.

"Drop in" gastroscopy outpatient clinic--experience after 9 months.

Background: Logistics handling referrals for gastroscopy may be more time consuming than the examination itself. For the patient, "drop in" gastroscopy may reduce uncertainty, inadequate therapy and time off work.

Methods: After an 8-9 month run-in period we asked patients, hospital staff and GPs to fill in a questionnaire to evaluate their experience with "drop in" gastroscopy and gastroscopy by appointment, respectively.

Colonoscope with a sub-distal hyper-flaccid segment for improved insertion at colonoscopy: a randomized study.

Background: In sharp bends, particularly in the colonic flexures, the axial pushing force conveyed to the distal actively bending tip of the endoscope may cause impaction rather than progression. It is hypothesized that colonoscopes with a very flaccid segment immediately proximal to the distal bending tip might reduce this problem.

Material And Methods: Two prototype colonoscopes with a flaccid passively bending segment (either progressively graded or ungraded flaccidity) positioned immediately proximal to the distal actively bending tip was evaluated in a single-blinded randomized study.

Quality assurance as an integrated part of the electronic medical record - a prototype applied for colonoscopy.

Objective: Electronic medical records (EMRs) have not developed much beyond the days of typewritten journals when it comes to facilitating extraction of data for quality assurance (QA) and improvement of health-care performance.

Material And Methods: Based on 5 years' experience from the Norwegian Gastronet QA programme, we have developed a highly QA-profiled EMR for colonoscopy. We used a three-tier solution (client, server and database) written in the Java programming language using a number of open-source libraries.

Improvement in caecal intubation rate and pain reduction by using 3-dimensional magnetic imaging for unsedated colonoscopy: a randomized trial of patients referred for colonoscopy.

Objective: Use of magnetic endoscope imaging (MEI) during colonoscopy has the potential to ease caecal intubation and patient discomfort and to reduce dependence on sedation and/or analgesics (SAs). However, pain reduction by using MEI has not been demonstrated so far, probably because of the liberal use of SAs. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of MEI on caecal intubation and patient pain during unsedated colonoscopy performed by experienced and inexperienced colonoscopists.

Carbon dioxide insufflation reduces discomfort due to flexible sigmoidoscopy in colorectal cancer screening.

Background: Flexible sigmoidoscopy is currently recommended as a screening modality for colorectal cancer. However, a substantial number of patients experience discomfort because of the procedure. possibly limiting compliance and thus screening success.

Influence of long-term supplementation with alpha-linolenic acid on myocardial lipid peroxidation and antioxidative capacity in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The ischaemic vulnerability of the heart of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is enhanced after feeding an alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) enriched diet. Because oxygen radical-induced reactions (e.g.

In vitro activity of meropenem compared to nine other antimicrobial agents: importance of its stability when used in agar dilution systems.

The antibacterial activity of meropenem was tested against 426 clinical isolates representing a wide range of aerobic and anaerobic species. The in vitro activity of meropenem was compared with that of iminpenem, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin and tobramycin against aerobic isolates, and also compared with that of imipenem, metronidazole, cefoxitin, clindamycin and piperacillin against the anaerobic isolates. Meropenem exhibited an extended spectrum of activity with low minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against Gram negative aerobes, anaerobes, Gram positive anaerobes and most of the Gram positive aerobes.

Selection and implementation of a laboratory computer system.

The process of selection of a pathology computer system has become increasingly complex as there are an increasing number of facilities that must be provided and stringent performance requirements under heavy computing loads from both human users and machine inputs. Furthermore, the continuing advances in software and hardware technology provide more options and innovative new ways of tackling problems. These factors taken together pose a difficult and complex set of decisions and choices for the system analyst and designer.

Structural wall tissue alterations of the microvasculature in the course of spontaneous hypertension of rats.

The existence of structural reactions of the microvasculature of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the underlying causal mechanisms are generally controversially discussed. Ninety-two male SHR aged 3-52 weeks and 118 normotensive age and sex matched controls were investigated. A new histomorphometric procedure was applied that ascertains structural changes in microvessels with diameters below 9 microns, between 9 microns and 19 microns and above 19 microns in anatomically defined sections of the skeletal muscle, heart and pancreas.

Ischemic myocardial damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is enhanced after long-term feeding of an alpha-linolenic acid enriched diet.

In this study the influence of long-term feeding of an alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) enriched diet on the sensitivity of SHR to catecholamine-induced myocardial injury was investigated. An enhanced ischemic vulnerability after LNA supplementation was observed as indicated both by a marked decrease of enzyme activities in the myocardium and by a pronounced elevation of plasma enzymes. Distinctly higher TBARS levels in heart tissue and plasma of LNA rich fed SHR suggest that an exaggerated lipid peroxidation might contribute to the increased ischemic vulnerability.

Blood pressure and serum lipids from SHR after diets supplemented with evening primrose, sunflowerseed or fish oil.

Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) at 4 weeks of age were fed a diet supplemented with sunflowerseed oil (SO), evening primrose oil (EPO), fish oil (FO) or EPO + FO for 22 weeks. A diet with commercially available pellets served as control. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower during and after FO, EPO and EPO + FO, whereas the lower level after SO was not significant when compared with the controls.

N-6 and N-3 PUFA in liver lipids, thromboxane formation and blood pressure from SHR during diets supplemented with evening primrose, sunflowerseed or fish oil.

Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after weaning (at 4 weeks of age) were fed diets supplemented with either sunflowerseed oil (SO), evening primrose oil (EPO), fish oil (FO) or EPO + FO (50%: 50%, v/v) for 22 weeks. A diet with commercially available pellets served as control. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the dietary groups receiving FO, EPO and FO + EPO, the former being most effective.