Progressive Depletion of Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum in Epithelial Cells of the Small Intestine in Monosodium Glutamate Mice Model of Obesity.

Chronic obesity is a known risk factor for metabolic syndrome. However, little is known about pathological changes in the small intestine associated with chronic obesity. This study investigated cellular and subcellular level changes in the small intestine of obese mice.

The quality of life in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

We conducted a study to evaluate the quality of life in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 8-18 years, compared with that in matched healthy controls. A total of 85 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 8-18 years and 136 age, sex and living place matched healthy controls were included in this study. Patients and one of their parents separately completed the 27-item Persian version of KIDSCREEN questionnaire (child and adolescent version and parent version).

Does gastroesophageal reflux increase chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations?

Background: The relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) has been investigated less than asthma-GER. We aimed to evaluate the presence of GER in patients with COPD and its impact on exacerbations.

Methods: We included 24 patients with stable mild-moderate stage COPD and 19 volunteers as the control group.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Capability of Double-Balloon Enteroscopy in Clinical Practice.

Advances in technology have facilitated the common use of small-bowel imaging. Intraoperative enteroscopy was the gold standard method for small-bowel imaging. However, noninvasive capsule endoscopy and invasive balloon enteroscopy are currently the main endoscopic procedures that are routinely used for small-bowel pathologies, and the indications for both techniques are similar.

Blastocyst Morphology Holds Clues Concerning The Chromosomal Status of The Embryo.

Background: Embryo morphology has been proposed as an alternative marker of chro- mosomal status. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the association between the chromosomal status on day 3 of embryo development and blas- tocyst morphology.

Materials And Methods: A total of 596 embryos obtained from 106 cycles of intra- cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) followed by preimplantation genetic aneuploidy screening (PGS) were included in this retrospective study.

Three-Dimensional Electron Microscopy Reconstruction of Degenerative Dopaminergic Neurons Surrounded by Activated Microglia in Substantia Nigra.

There is an urgent need to investigate the reason for the pathogenic mechanism of intractable central neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease. It has been reported that the activation of microglial cells is involved in the pathology of these diseases. However, due to technical difficulties, the relationship between degenerative neurons and activated microglial cells remains unclear.

Developmental changes in the flotillin-1 expression pattern of the rat visual cortex.

Ocular dominance plasticity is activity dependent, changes in response to eye competition, and is transitory during developmental stages. Lipid rafts have modulatory functions in cellular, physiological, and behavioral processes. Although many of these modulatory roles are mediated by flotillin-1, a lipid raft-associated protein, the ontogenetic changes in the cellular and subcellular distribution patterns of flotillin-1 are unclear.

Prepregnancy Maternal Weight and Body Mass Index of Children with and without Congenital Heart Disease.

Objective: Congenital heart diseases are among the most frequent major congenital anomalies. One of the suspected reasons for congenital heart defects is overweight and obesity of mother during prepregnancy and pregnancy. We studied the relationship between maternal overweight and obesity and the risk of congenital anomaly.

Lipid and glucose serum levels in children with congenital heart disease.

Introduction: Coronary artery disease is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Atherosclerosis begins in early childhood and progresses through life. With advances in pediatric cardiology, the prevalence of congenital heart disease in adults has increased in relation to children.

[Visualization and analysis of adverse reactions of molecularly targeted anticancer agents using the self-organizing map (SOM)].

Molecularly targeted anticancer agents cause a variety of adverse reactions compared with conventional anticancer agents because of their unique mechanisms of action. Sources of drug information such as package inserts (PIs) provide primarily document-based and numerical information. Therefore it is not easy to obtain a complete picture of drugs with similar effects, or to understand differences among drugs.

Dilatation of sinusoidal capillary and swelling of sinusoidal fenestration in obesity: an ultrastructural study.

Obesity, which is one of the causes of the lifestyle-related disease, is a hepatopathic exacerbation factor that causes a chronic hepatic disorder. In this study, we examined the pathological changes in the liver in mice with obesity induced by monosodium glutamate administration. Pathological analysis revealed the deposition of many lipid droplets in hepatocytes and sinusoidal dilatation in obese mice.

The structural and functional organization of the podocyte filtration slits is regulated by Tjp1/ZO-1.

Blood filtration in the kidney glomerulus is essential for physiological homeostasis. The filtration apparatus of the kidney glomerulus is composed of three distinct components: the fenestrated endothelial cells, the glomerular basement membrane, and interdigitating foot processes of podocytes that form the slit diaphragm. Recent studies have demonstrated that podocytes play a crucial role in blood filtration and in the pathogenesis of proteinuria and glomerular sclerosis; however, the molecular mechanisms that organize the podocyte filtration barrier are not fully understood.

Possible association between dysfunction of vitamin D binding protein (GC Globulin) and migraine attacks.

To identify the genetic causality of migraine and acute, severe melalgia, we performed a linkage analysis and exome sequencing in a family with four affected individuals. We identified a variant (R21L) in exon 2 of the GC globulin gene, which is involved in the transportation of vitamin D metabolites and acts as a chemotaxic factor; this variant was co-segregated within the family. To investigate the relationship between GC globulin and melalgia, we investigated the cytokine levels in serum samples from the patients and control subjects using a cytokine antibody array.

The Impact of Pituitary Blockage with GnRH Antagonist and Gonadotrophin Stimulation Length on The Outcome of ICSI Cycles in Women Older than 36 Years.

Background: The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate whether the length of pituitary blockage with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists or the stimulation period influence intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes in patients older than 36 years of age.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 138 couples with maternal age >36 years undergoing ICSI with an antagonist protocol were included. The influences of stimulation and suppression length on the response to ovarian stimulation and ICSI outcomes were investigated.

Predictive value of early serum cytokine changes on long-term interferon beta-1a efficacy in multiple sclerosis.

Background: In a previous study, we had evaluated short-term effects of interferon beta-1a (IFNB-1a) 44 μg s.c. three times per week treatment on serum levels of IFN-gamma (IFNG), IL-23, IL-17, IL-10, IL-9, IL-4 and TGF-beta (TGFB) and found a reduction only in IL-17 and IL-23 levels after 2 months of treatment.

The developmental competence of oocytes retrieved from the leading follicle in controlled ovarian stimulated cycles.

Background: This study compares the developmental capacity of gametes retrieved from the largest follicle with small follicles of a cohort in controlled ovarian stimulated cycles.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study performed in a private assisted fertilization center included 1016 follicles collected from 96 patients who underwent intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). After follicular aspiration, oocytes were assigned to two groups according to the diameter of the derived follicle.

When Can We Release the Amplatzer Ductal Occluder (ADO) Safely?

Background: The ductus arteriosus connects the main pulmonary trunk to the descending aorta. The incidence of isolated patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in full-term infants is about 1 in 2000. The Amplatzer Ductal Occluder (ADO) is recommended for PDAs with sizes larger than 2 mm.

Prediction of embryo implantation potential by mass spectrometry fingerprinting of the culture medium.

This study has evaluated the performance of a multivariate statistical model to predict embryo implantation potential by processing data from the chemical fingerprinting of culture medium samples used for human embryo culture. The culture medium for 113 embryos from 55 patients undergoing ICSI was collected after embryo transfer. The samples were split into positive (n=29) and negative (n=84) implantation groups according their implantation outcomes (100% or 0% implantation).

c-Fos activity mapping reveals differential effects of noradrenaline and serotonin depletion on the regulation of ocular dominance plasticity in rats.

The roles of the central noradrenergic and serotonergic system in the activity-dependent regulation of ocular dominance plasticity have been a contentious issue. Using c-Fos activity mapping, we have developed a new, straightforward method to measure the strength of ocular dominance plasticity: the number of c-Fos-immunopositive cells in layer IV of rat visual cortex (Oc1B), ipsilateral to the stimulated eye, is a sensitive and reliable measure of the effects of monocular deprivation. Applying this new method, here we studied the unique modification of the degree of c-Fos expression induced in the visual cortex, in that endogenous noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5HT) in the cortex were significantly reduced, respectively by specific pharmacological agents.

Aortopulmonary window in infants.

One of the rarest congenital heart diseases that results from a defect between the main pulmonary artery and the proximal aorta is named aortopulmonary window (APW). Such abnormality could be isolated, but in fifty percent of patients may be associated with other cardiac abnormalities, including arch abnormalities, specifically coarctation of the aorta, interrupted aortic arch, tetralogy of fallot, and atrial septal defect (ASD). Surgical closure or catheter-delivered devices is recommended in all patients with APW and should be performed after diagnosis as soon as possible to prevent irreversible pulmonary vascular disease.

The predictive value of high-magnification sperm morphology examination on ICSI outcomes in the presence of oocyte dysmorphisms.

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between oocyte dysmorphisms and IMSI outcomes

Methods: Data of IMSI cycles performed in 332 patients were included in this study. Patients were included only if presented more than four and less than 30 oocytes upon oocyte retrieval. Patients who underwent IMSI were matched, concerning female age and sperm parameters, with patients who underwent ICSI in the same period (n = 332).

Microbial-resistant Salmonella enteritidis isolated from poultry samples.

Background: Multidrug resistance in Salmonella enteritidis isolates is a public health problem worldwide; the present study, therefore, was designed for antimicrobial-resistance determination in this strain.

Methods: Salmonella strains isolated from poultry samples by biochemical positive and negative tests were subjected to PCR and identified as Salmonella enteritidis. For detection and identification of Salmonella enteritidis isolates, sdfI gene-specific primers were used.

Do weekend oocyte retrievals have an impact on the intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles outcome?

Introduction: Despite the fact that ovarian stimulation is controlled, it is not always predictable. Because the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) injection depends mainly on the patient's ovarian response to gonadotrophins, the day of oocyte retrieval cannot be determined in advance. As a result, oocyte retrievals are often scheduled to occur on weekends, a fact that entails at least one extra working day for the staff, and could lead to physical and psychological stress, especially in embryologists.

Relationship between oocyte abnormal morphology and intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes: a meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of the potential effects of oocyte morphological abnormalities on ICSI outcomes. Relevant original papers reporting on the relation between oocyte morphology and ICSI outcomes were identified by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. The main outcome measures were fertilisation rate and embryo quality.