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Zhaohui Liao Arter,1,2 Kevin Shieh,1,2 Misako Nagasaka,1,2 Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou1,2 1Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USACorrespondence: Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA, Tel +1 714-456-5153, Fax +1 714-456-2242, Email ignatiusou@gmail.comBackground: BRAF mutations are generally divided into three classes based on the different altered mechanism of activation.Methods: We queried the public AACR GENIE database (version 13.1), which includes tumor mutation burden (TMB) data, to explore potential molecular differences among the three classes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Results: Out of 20,713 unique NSCLC patients, 324 (1.6%) were BRAF mutations positive (BRAF+) class I, 260 (1.3%) class II, and 236 (1.1%) class III. The distribution of patient characteristics, including sex, age, and race, remains uniform across the three classes. The median TMB (mt/MB) was 6.5, 9.5, and 10.3 for class I, II, and III, respectively. The mean TMB was 61.5 ± 366.1 for class I, 40.5 ± 156.2 for class II, and 129.4 ± 914.8 for class III. About 30.5% of BRAF V600E+ patients had TMB ≥ 10; 47.7% of class II had TMB ≥ 10; and 52.5% of class III had TMB ≥ 10. For those patients with TMB ≥ 10, the median TMB was 45, 28.9, 18.4 for class I, II, and III, respectively. For TMB ≥ 10 patients, TP53 mutation was the most common co-alterations across all 3 classes.Conclusion: A substantial proportion of BRAF+ NSCLC patients exhibited a TMB ≥ 10, among all three classes of BRAF mutation classification, including BRAF V600E+ NSCLC. Class III mutations appeared to have the highest median TMB, followed by class II, and then class I.Keywords: target therapy, immunocheck point inhibitor (ICI), BRAF mutation, tumor mutation burden (TMB), class I, II, III mutations, NSCLC

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and purpose: Chronic abdominal pain or recurrent abdominal pain is defined as abdominal pain that occurs in at least three episodes, lasting for a minimum of three consecutive months, and is severe enough to adversely affect the child's normal functioning. Abdominal pain can be a challenging complaint for many specialists because, at the same time, it can indicate a completely benign finding, it can also indicate the presence of an acute and malignant pathology. At this stage, the most important action of the treating physician is to diagnose the disease as organic or functional. The present study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in diagnosing organic causes of chronic abdominal pain in children and investigating the correlation between clinical symptoms and pathological findings of endoscopy in children aged 3 to 12 years with chronic abdominal pain. Materials and methods: The present study was conducted as a cross-sectional study on 100 children with chronic abdominal pain without pathological cause who visited the pediatric clinic of Ayatollah Mousavi Hospital in Zanjan, from April to December 2021. At first, after taking the initial history and examining the clinical symptoms of the patient, diagnostic and paraclinical tests were performed to determine the cause of chronic abdominal pain. If the cause of the pain was diagnosed using clinical and paraclinical examinations, the patient was excluded from the study and treated accordingly. Then, the children who could not find a specific cause for their pain were referred to a pediatric gastroenterology specialist for endoscopy. After a complete examination and observation of the upper gastrointestinal tract, a pathology sample was also prepared for all patients, and endoscopic, pathological, demographic, and clinical findings were recorded for all patients. Finally, the data was statistically analyzed by SPSS version 26 software using Chi-2 statistical tests, Fisher's exact test, t-test, and Mann-Whitney. Results: The mean ± standard deviation of the children's age was 8±2.66 years. 63% of the children were girls and 37% were boys. The most common complaints in children after abdominal pain were vomiting (19%) nausea (14%) and non-response to outpatient treatment (8%). The most common accompanying symptoms besides abdominal pain included nausea, vomiting, tooth decay, and constipation. Endoscopic findings were normal in only two patients with abdominal pain, and in 98% there was at least one organic lesion. The most common findings in pathology examination were GERD I at 48%, Small sliding hiatal hernia at 37%, and GERD II at 24% respectively. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that most cases of chronic abdominal pain in children had an organic origin, and it was better to conduct further investigations to identify the cause of the pain. The most common pathological findings in these children were GERD I, II, and sliding hiatal hernia. Clinical manifestations of the disease, diverse clinical symptoms, paraclinical findings, initial tests, and mucosal biopsy results can help diagnose the cause of chronic pain. By finding the cause of the pain, effective actions can be taken to control the pain of these children

Objective： To demonstrate the polymorphism of α chain of bovine major histocompatibility complex (BoLA) class Ⅰmolecule and domain binding constant chain (Ii). Methods： Total 75 BoLA Iα genes were obtained from three Huaibei cattle and analyzed by molecular biology software； the genes of typical BoLA Iα domains and Ii were cloned, and then inserted into prokaryotic expression plasmid. After induced protein expression； the domains of BoLA Ⅰα chain binding to Ii were detected by pull-down method and Western blot. The recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmids were constructed and the co-localization of BoLA Iα segments with Ii was observed by laser confocal microscopy. Results： Firstly, it was found that there were at least 5 kinds of BoLA Iα in the cloned gene sequence, which were highly polymorphic and they were mainly distributed in the antigen peptide binding region (PBR) of BoLA Ⅰ (α1α2) and cytoplasmic region. Secondly, the prokaryotic recombinant plasmids containing BoLA Ⅰα1α2α3, BoLA Ⅰα1α2 or BoLA Ⅰ α3 were constructed, then they were respectively induced to express and purified, in which, the BoLA Ⅰ α1α2α3 and BoLA Ⅰα1α2 had the activity of binding to Ii. Finally, in 293T cells BoLA Ⅰα1α2α3 or BoLA Iα1α2 was found that could co-localize with Ii, while a single BoLA Iα3 could not. Conclusion： BoLA Ⅰα gene is highly polymorphic. BoLA Ⅰα1α2 is a functional fragment that binds to Ii and co-locates intracellular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Higher blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with the development of major vascular diseases, independent of mean blood pressure. However, despite data indicating that serum inflammatory markers are linked to hypertension, the association between serum inflammatory markers and BPV has not been studied in humans. Methods This is a post hoc analysis of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study. The study exposure was tertiles of serum level of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), d-dimer, plasmin–antiplasmin complex (PAP), fibrinogen antigen, and calibrated Factor VIII (%) at the baseline study visit. The primary outcome was visit-to-visit BPV measured as the residual standard deviation (rSD) of at least 4 study visits (2000–2018). Two logistic regression models were fit to the top tertile of rSD during follow-up: in Model 1, we adjusted for age, sex, and hypertension, and in Model 2, for patient age categories, sex, race/ethnicity, education, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, drinking, body mass index, lipid-lowering medication, and mean systolic blood pressure. Results Our analysis included 5,483 patients, with a mean (SD) age of 61.4 (10.0) years, 52.9% female, and 40.7% White. In unadjusted analyses, all markers of inflammation were associated with higher BPV, but after adjustment, only IL-6 retained significance (P < 0.001). The odds ratio for the highest tertile of BPV and IL-6 was 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28–1.74, P < 0.001). Conclusions Baseline serum IL-6 was associated with increased subsequent BPV in a large multiracial cohort. Further investigation is needed to better understand the relationship between chronic inflammation and BPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the end of 2021, about 200 studies on the effect of interferons (IFNs) on the incidence and course of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 (Coronaviridae: Coronavirinae: Betacoronavirus: Sarbecovirus) have been reported worldwide, with the number of such studies steadily increasing. This review discusses the main issues of the use of IFN drugs in this disease. The literature search was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, RSCI databases, as well as in the Google Scholar preprint database using the available search queries «MeSH for coronavirus», «SARS-CoV-2», «IFN drugs», and «COVID-19». Interferon therapy is indicated for early administration (within the first 5 days of patient admission) in cases of mild to moderate COVID-19 to take advantage of the narrow therapeutic window of IFNs action. Control and suppression of viral replication requires therapy with IFNs and other effective antiviral agents that inhibit the reproduction of SARS-CoV-2 and induce several interferon-stimulated genes (ISG). Type I IFNs (IFN-I) exhibit potent pro-inflammatory properties and activate a wide variety of different cell types that respond to IFNs stimulation and pathogen entry. IFN-III confer local mucosal antiviral immunity without inducing the strong systemic pro-inflammatory responses associated with IFN-I. The use of IFNs drugs in the therapy of new coronavirus infection requires a cautious and differentiated approach, because in severe cases they can aggravate viral pathogenesis by causing excessive intensity of inflammatory reactions. The unique biological properties of substances of this class allow us to consider them as therapeutic agents with significant potential for use in patients with COVID-19.

Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative Bacilli belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. It has a rod-shaped coliform . A number of neuropsychiatric conditions, likeanxiety, schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, and depressive disorder, Have been reported to be associated with the microbiome. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disturbance. A sample of fifteen E.coli bacteria were isolated E. coliisolates From ASD children's stools.ASD children. The isolates were identified by phenotypic identification using API 20 E. The molecular analysis was processed for Integron I,II,I, cfr, procfr genes.These resultsshowed Integron II less prevalence Than in IntegronIand III. I,III while pro-cfr, more prevalence than cfrgene.Multidrug-resistant in E. coli has widespread.

Study Design: Systematic review and Meta-analysis., Objectives: To quantify the association of preoperative depression on patient reported outcome measures (PROMS) after cervical spine surgery., Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, PsychInfo, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov until September 14, 2023. Studies including adults undergoing cervical spine surgery and comparing PROMs between depressed and non-depressed patients were included. The primary outcome was the postoperative change in disability, pain, and physical function. Secondary outcomes included absolute disease severity before and after surgery. We conducted random-effects meta-analysis., Results: After screening 3813 articles, 20 studies were included, encompassing 3964 patients (mean age 57, 51% males) with median follow-up duration of 12 months. There was significant heterogeneity in estimates of the primary outcome ( I 2 = 81%). While patients with depression had a greater magnitude of improvement compared with patients without depression, it was not statistically significant (SMD = 0.04, [95% CI: -0.07, 0.16], I 2 = 80%; P = 0.48). However, patients with depression exhibited worse absolute disease severity preoperatively (SMD = -0.31, [-0.44, -0.19], I 2 = 84%; P < 0.001) and postoperatively (SMD = -0.31, [-0.48, -0.15], I 2 = 89%; P < 0.002). Sensitivity analyses with meta-regression found that older age, sex (male-to-female ratio), percentage of comorbidities, study quality, follow-up duration, number of adjusted factors in the analysis, and surgical approach were significant sources of heterogeneity., Conclusions: Patients with depression experienced similar improvements in disability, pain, and physical function after cervical surgery compared to patients without depression. However, patients with depression exhibited worse disease severity before and after surgery., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

In orthodontic treatments, mechanical characterization of orthodontic bracket bonded to the tooth is essential to determine the bond strength and mechanical behavior of the bracket-adhesive-tooth system. In this study, the linear-nonlinear mechanical behavior and damage characterization of Filtek Z350 XT (3M ESPE) nanocomposite as a dental adhesive material to bond orthodontic brackets to tooth enamel, are investigated using numerical and experimental methods. Full sets of tensile, shear, and mixed modes I/II and I/II/III debonding experiments are conducted to extract the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite adhesive as the bracket/tooth interface. The results of the experiments are used to obtain the cohesive law and the damage model parameters. Three-dimensional finite element models of the bracket debonding tests are developed, while the cohesive zone model (CZM) is used to define the constitutive behavior of the nanocomposite interface under the tensile, shear, and mixed-mode loading conditions. The FE results showed a good correlation with the measured data, indicated the validity of the constitutive model, damage properties, and simulation process. The bond strengths of the nanocomposite adhesive are obtained 8.35 and 4.12MPa in modes I and II loadings, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a new set called Pythagorean neutrosophic beta-open set with this concept, and we introduce interior and closure of Pythagorean neutrosophic beta-open set in a Pythagorean neutrosophic topological spaces by utilizing beta-open set and we introduce the chii, ii, iiibeta-spaces and di, ii, iiibeta-spaces from the pair of distinct points and we have derived the necessary and sufficient conditions by utilizing beta-open sets. We also go through some containment relations for interiors and closures of beta-open sets and studied some of their characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently conceived gap test and its simulation revealed that the fracture energy Gf (or Kc, Jcr) of concrete, plastic-hardening metals, composites, and probably most materials can change by ±100%, depending on the crack-parallel stresses σxx, σzz, and their history. Therefore, one must consider not only a finite length but also a finite width of the fracture process zone, along with its tensorial damage behavior. The data from this test, along with ten other classical tests important for fracture problems (nine on concrete, one on sandstone), are optimally fitted to evaluate the performance of the state-of-art phase-field, peridynamic, and crack band models. Thanks to its realistic boundary and crack-face conditions as well as its tensorial nature, the crack band model, combined with the microplane damage constitutive law in its latest version M7, is found to fit all data well. On the contrary, the phase-field models perform poorly. Peridynamic models (both bond based and state based) perform even worse. The recent correction in the bond-associated deformation gradient helps to improve the predictions in some experiments, but not all. This confirms the previous strictly theoretical critique (JAM 2016), which showed that peridynamics of all kinds suffers from several conceptual faults: (1) It implies a lattice microstructure; (2) its particle-skipping interactions are a fiction; (4) it ignores shear-resisted particle rotations (which are what lends the lattice discrete particle model (LDPM) its superior performance); (3) its representation of the boundaries, especially the crack and fracture process zone faces, is physically unrealistic; and (5) it cannot reproduce the transitional size effect--a quintessential characteristic of quasibrittleness. The misleading practice of "verifying" a model with only one or two simple tests matchable by many different models, or showcasing an ad hoc improvement for one type of test while ignoring misfits of others, is pointed out. In closing, the ubiquity of crack-parallel stresses in practical problems of concrete, shale, fiber composites, plastic-hardening metals, and materials on submicrometer scale is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In two early unpublished texts (a Disputation in favor of Copernicus of 1593 and the Apologia pro Tychone against Ursus of 1600), Kepler argued with the Pythagoreans that, contrary to Aristotle (De caelo, ii, 13), the geometrical center of the cosmos coincides with its natural center. Since the Sun is the body that occupies this central position, Kepler conceives it as the heart of the world and the principle of planetary motion. In the following study, we examine how Kepler further develops this pivotal theme in a letter to Herwart von Hohenburg of 25 March 1605 and later in the Dissertatio cum nuncio sidereo (Prague, 1610) as well as in a German translation and critical commentary of the Aristotelian chapter, which ultimately remained unpublished as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physeal fractures of long bones are common injuries treated by orthopedists. Distal tibial physeal fractures account for 11% of all physeal injuries. Objectives: The aim of the work is evaluation of the clinical and radiological outcome of lower tibial epiphyseal injury managed by percutaneous pinning. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective randomized study carried out on 12 cases with distal tibial epiphyseal injuries admitted to Zagazig University with follow up period up to six months. The youngest patient was 8 years old, while the oldest was 16 years old, with an average of 12 years; the high incidence was in the age group 10-15 years. Results: Overall results obtained from 12 cases were satisfactory in 11 cases (91.66%) and unsatisfactory in 1 cases (8.37%). More satisfactory results in this work were in the age group 10-15 years. However, age did not affect the results significantly. Cases with closed injury showed more satisfactory results (100%) than those with open injury, the difference was statistically highly significant. All cases in this study were presented within the first 48 hours from onset of trauma. 8 cases were immobilized for 8 weeks and 4 cases for 6 weeks. The difference was statistically insignificant. 2 cases were managed by open reduction and internal fixation and the difference was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The percutaneous pinning for lower tibial epiphyseal injury showed good reduction of fracture, satisfactory functional outcome and less complications. The technique provided speed recovery, secure fixation and avoiding prolonged cast immobilization and conservative treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Babylon Center for Humanities Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present work is concerned with the propagation of magneto-thermoelastic plane waves of assigned frequency in a homogeneous isotropic finitely conducting elastic medium permeated by a uniform magnetic field. The problem has been formulated under the purview of Green and Naghdi theory of thermoelasticity of type-III (GN-III). Interactions among elastic, thermal and magnetic fields have been taken into account. A dispersion relation is derived to investigate the nature of waves propagating in the medium. Perturbation technique has been employed to obtain the solution of the dispersion relation, when the magneto-thermoelastic coupling parameter is small. This enables to identify three different types of waves. Phase velocity, specific loss and penetration depth have been discussed. Using derived analytical expressions, numerical results have been computed for the variation of several physical quantities of interest. The impact of the magnetic field has been studied. Computational results have been presented graphically for all the three cases GN-I, GN-II, GN-III. A comparative study has been performed for these three cases. The study reveals that in the case of GN-II theory, coupled magneto-thermoelastic waves are unattenuated and non-dispersive in contrast to the cases of GN-I and GN-III theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of a novel series of 3-functionalised benzenesulfonamides incorporating phenyl-1,2,3-triazole with an amide linker was achieved by using the “click-tail” approach. The new compounds, including the intermediates, were assayed as inhibitors of human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms hCA I and II (cytosolic isoforms) and also for hCA IV and IX (transmembrane isoforms) taking acetazolamide as standard drug. Most of these compounds exhibited excellent activity against all these isoforms. hCA I was inhibited with Kis in the range of 50.8–966.8 nM, while the glaucoma associated hCA II was inhibited with Kis in the range of 6.5–760.0 nM. Isoform hCA IV was inhibited with Kis in the range of 65.3–957.5 nM, whereas the tumor associated hypoxia induced hCA IX was inhibited with Kis in the range of 30.8–815.9 nM. The structure activity relationship study for the 3-functionalised-1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole sulfamoylbenzamides against these isoforms was also inferred from the results.

This article presents data on gender characteristics of neuropsychological manifestations and neurological deficits in ischemic stroke in the elderly and senile. The prospective study included 173 patients with ischemic stroke (AI) of average (34.1%; 44-59 years), elderly (63.8%; 60-74 years) and senile (12.1%; (75-90 years)) age from 44 to 87 years of gender-specific neuropsychological manifestations and neurological deficits. As a result of analyzing the data of the scales used, we found that elderly and senile patients with ischemic stroke in the acute period against the background of a serious condition had a neurological defect and deviations in daily activities, as well as cognitive disorders in the form of subject disorders in 64.2%. The severity of cognitive deficits in most cases occurred in males. Elderly people in most cases need outside care, they have moderate or pronounced signs of disability, especially in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invariant chain (Ii, also known as CD74) is a multifunctional regulator of adaptive immune responses and is responsible for sorting major histocompatibility complex class I and class II (MHCI and MHCII, respectively) molecules, as well as other Ii-associated molecules, to a specific endosomal pathway. When Ii is expressed, endosomal maturation and proteolytic degradation of proteins are delayed and, in non-antigen presenting cells, the endosomal size increases, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this are not known. We identified that a SNARE, Vti1b, is essential for regulating these Ii-induced effects. Vti1b binds to Ii and is localized at the contact sites of fusing Ii-positive endosomes. Furthermore, truncated Ii lacking the cytoplasmic tail, which is not internalized from the plasma membrane, relocates Vti1b to the plasma membrane. Knockout of Ii in an antigen-presenting cell line was found to speed up endosomal maturation, whereas silencing of Vti1b inhibits the Ii-induced maturation delay. Our results suggest that Ii, by interacting with the SNARE Vti1b in antigen-presenting cells, directs specific Ii-associated SNARE-mediated fusion in the early part of the endosomal pathway that leads to a slower endosomal maturation for efficient antigen processing and MHC antigen loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-ZnO and ZnO doped with Cu: Mn samples (Mn = 2% and Cu = 2% and 4%) have been synthesized by combustion synthesis. The effect of Cu content (Cu/Mn co-dopant) on the structural, optical, and magnetic properties has been studied. X-ray diffraction studies revealed hexagonal Wurtzite structure, and the particle size is around 36–18 nm. From scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, morphology of all the samples was spherical in shape with high porous structure. The elemental composition of the synthesized samples was investigated using energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), which confirmed the presence of selective elements in the samples near stoichiometric ratio. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of functional groups in synthesized samples. From UV–Vis absorbance spectra, blue shift is observed with increasing dopant concentration. From VSM studies, the enhanced magnetization properties were observed in doped samples. From photoluminescence (PL) studies, decrease in rate of recombination of electron–hole pairs is observed. The simultaneous enrichment of magnetic and optical properties of Cu doped ZnO: Mn nanoparticles can be used in future spintronic and optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Context: Although quantitative measurements improve the assessment of disc degeneration, acquirement of quantitative measurements relies on manual segmentation on lumbar magnetic resonance images (MRIs), which may introduce subjective bias. To date, only a few semiautomatic systems have been developed to quantify important components on MRIs.Purpose: To develop a deep learning based program (Spine Explorer) for automated segmentation and quantification of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs on lumbar spine MRIs.Study Design: Cross-sectional study.Patient Sample: The study was extended on the Hangzhou Lumbar Spine Study, a population-based study of mainland Chinese with focuses on lumbar degenerative changes. From this population-based database, 50 sets lumbar MRIs were randomly selected as training dataset, and another 50 as test dataset.Outcome Measures: Regions of vertebrae and discs were manually segmented on T2W sagittal MRIs to train a convolutional neural network for automated segmentation. Intersection-over-union was calculated to evaluate segmentation performance. Computational definitions were proposed to acquire quantitative morphometric and signal measurements for lumbar vertebrae and discs. MRIs in the test dataset were automatically measured with Spine Explorer and manually with ImageJ.Methods: Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated to examine inter-software agreements. Correlations between disc measurements and Pfirrmann score as well as age were examined to assess measurement validity.Results: The trained Spine Explorer automatically segments and measures a lumbar MRI in half a second, with mean Intersection-over-union of 94.7% and 92.6% for the vertebra and disc, respectively. For both vertebra and disc measurements acquired with Spine Explorer and ImageJ, the agreements were excellent (ICC=0.81~1.00). Disc measurements significantly correlated to Pfirrmann score, and greater age was associated with greater anterior disc bulging area (r=0.35~0.44) and fewer signal measurements (r=-0.62~-0.77) as automatically acquired with Spine Explorer.Conclusions: Spine Explorer is an efficient, accurate, and reliable tool to acquire comprehensive quantitative measurements for lumbar vertebra and disc. Implication of such deep learning based program can facilitate clinical studies of the lumbar spine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Buccal fat pad (BFP) is a specialized vascular tissue adequately present in buccal space and is close to the maxillary posterior quadrant. The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the utility of pedicled BFP (PBFP) in the treatment of Class II and III gingival recession. Materials and Methods: Ten systemically healthy patients with age ranging from 35 to 55 years with Class II and Class III gingival recession in the maxillary molars were selected. Before the surgical phase, patients were enrolled in a strict maintenance program including oral hygiene instructions and scaling and root planing. A horizontal incision of 1–1.5 cm was made in the buccal sulcus of the maxillary molar region; buccinator muscle was separated bluntly to expose the BFP. The fat was then teased out from its bed and spread to cover defects adequately. It was then secured and sutured without tension. Clinical parameters such as probing depth, recession width, recession length (RL), and width of keratinized gingiva were recorded at baseline and at 6 months postoperatively, and weekly assessment was done at 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and after 4 weeks for observations during the postoperative healing. Results: Treated recession defects healed successfully without any significant postoperative complications. Decreased gingival recession horizontal width values from 4.65 ± 0.4327 to 0.94 ± 1.350 and RL from 6.4 ± 1.075 to 0.7 ± 0.6750 were observed postoperatively (P < 0.05). Percentage of root coverage average was 89.3%. There was a statistically significant decrease in the width and depth of recession. Conclusion: Pedicled buccal fat showed promising results as the treatment modality in the management of Class II and Class III gingival recession of maxillary posterior teeth.

Background & Objective: The presence of classes I, II and III Integrons in multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, has created new concerns in clinics. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of class I, II and III Integron in clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. Materials & Methods: In the cross-sectional study, 60 isolates of P. aeruginosa were obtained from the microbial-Laboratory of Rasool Akram Hospital in Tehran. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by the agar diffusion method based on CLSI guidelines on the Mueller Hinton agar medium. The genomic DNA was extracted using DNA extraction kit and M-PCR was performed for amplification of intI, intII and intIII genes. Results: The highest resistance rate was in the strains that harbored integron, so that 96.6% of strains were resistant to amoxicillin. The results showed that all 60 strains had resistance (100%) to amikacin. The highest frequency was related to intI (40%) and the lowest frequency was related to intIII genes (16.6%). Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of class I Integron in all Pseudomonas aeruginosa-resistant isolates and its relation with different drug resistance patterns, the right solution to infection control and treatment in hospitals is essential to prevent further spread of it.

Background: Depression causes poor academic performance, substance abuse, antisocial behavior, school avoidance, and running away from home in adolescents. Due to the high prevalence of depression in adolescents, reliability, and validity of this questionnaire in this age group is of special importance. Symptoms of depression in children and adolescents are different from their indications in adults. Objectives: The current study aimed at assessing reliability and validity of the Beck depression inventory- second edition (BDI- II) in high school students in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: A total of 1150 high school students from Shiraz were selected to assess the validity and a sum of 128 students from the same city were tested to measure the reliability of the study. Concurrent validity and factor analysis were used to assess validity. Concurrent validity was assessed using Beck anxiety inventory and depression anxiety stress scale (DASS)-21. Factor analysis was computed using varimax rotation method. To assess reliability, test-retest and Cronbach’s alpha were adopted. Results: Correlation coefficients for the concurrent validity of this inventory with Beck anxiety inventory and DASS-21 were 0.45 and 0.55, respectively. The results of factor analysis with varimax rotation method showed 4 factors that predicted 43.69% of the total variance of the test. The reliability and correlation coefficients 0.55 and 0.83 were obtained from test-retest and Cronbach’s alpha methods, respectively. Conclusions: Based on the results of the current study, researchers can use BDI- II in psychological research and clinical use for high school students in Shiraz.

The synthesis of a novel series of 3-functionalised benzenesulfonamides incorporating phenyl-1,2,3-triazole with an amide linker was achieved by using the "click-tail" approach. The new compounds, including the intermediates, were assayed as inhibitors of human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms hCA I and II (cytosolic isoforms) and also for hCA IV and IX (transmembrane isoforms) taking acetazolamide as standard drug. Most of these compounds exhibited excellent activity against all these isoforms. hCA I was inhibited with Kis in the range of 50.8–966.8 nM, while the glaucoma associated hCA II was inhibited with Kis in the range of 6.5–760.0 nM. Isoform hCA IV was inhibited with Kis in the range of 65.3–957.5 nM, whereas the tumor associated hypoxia induced hCA IX was inhibited with Kis in the range of 30.8–815.9 nM. The structure activity relationship study for the 3-functionalised-1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole sulfamoylbenzamides against these isoforms was also inferred from the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of Theology / Roczniki Teologiczne is the property of Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawla II and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Espacios is the property of Talleres de Impresos Oma and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Annals of Theology / Roczniki Teologiczne is the property of Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawla II and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and Aims: Interest in growth hormone (GH) is inextricably linked to the need for in depth understanding of the somatomedins (insulin-like growth factors) which are polypeptides structurally similar to insulin and with broad physiological activity. To date, the most commonly known is Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-I). Despite considerable current knowledge of IGF-I, however, its bioactivity is incompletely understood. Measurement of IGF-I is of the utmost importance in the diagnosis and treatment of, for example acromegaly and growth hormone deficiency. The development of recombinant IGF-I, has allowed its use in such cases. Clinical practice, however, shows that few young/adult patients will benefit from treatment with the rIGF-I, mecasermin, given the number of adverse effects found. This review focuses on current knowledge mainly related to IGF-I and the use of its recombinant form (rIGF-I) in clinical practice. Several functions of IGI-II have been elucidated but their clinical significance is unclear.

Introduction: Hard-on-hard (HoH) bearing surfaces in total hip arthroplasty (THA) are commonly utilized in younger patients and may decrease mechanical wear compared to polyethylene bearing surfaces. To our knowledge, no study has prospectively compared the 2 most common HoH bearings, ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) and metal-on-metal (MoM) THA.Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 40 patients to undergo an MoM THA and 42 patients to undergo a CoC THA utilizing the same acetabular component. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 2 years. Comparative outcomes included clinical scores, revision or reoperation for any reason, complication rates, and radiographic outcomes.Results: The average follow-up was significantly longer in the CoC cohort (94 vs 74 months; P = .005). The CoC cohort had significantly improved Harris Hip Scores (95 vs 84; P = .0009) and pain scores (42 vs 34; P = .0003). The revision (0% vs 31%; P = .0001), reoperation (7.5% vs 36%; P = .004), and complication rates (10% vs 56%; P = .0001) were significantly lower in the CoC cohort. There were no statistically significant differences in radiographic parameters.Conclusion: The clinical outcomes in the CoC cohort exceeded the MoM cohort. It is unlikely that another prospective comparative study of HoH THAs will be conducted. Our midterm results support the use of CoC THA as a viable option that may reduce long-term wear in younger patients. Close surveillance of MoM THA patients is recommended considering the higher failure and complication rates reported in this cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This research investigated the response of vascular active factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiotensin-II (AT-II) to ovarian stimulation during 24 hours in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Materials and Methods In this clinical trial study, 52 patients with PCOS and 8 control cases were stimulated with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on the 4th to 7th day of the patients’ natural or induced menstrual cycles. We measured VEGF and AT-II by radioimmunoassay before the injection (0 hour) and 3, 8, 12, 18 and 24 hours after the stimulation. Results After ovarian stimulation, there was substantially higher level of VEGF in typical PCOS patients than the other three groups at the 3 hour time point (p < 0.05), while there were no significant differences in VEGF at all the other time points among the four groups. As for AT-II, before and at all time points after the ovarian stimulation, it seemed that the AT-II levels in patients’ sera with different phenotypes of PCOS by the Rotterdam criteria were all higher than in the control group although the differences were not statistically significant. The level of AT-II in typical PCOS patients was also significantly higher than the other three groups at the 3 hour time point (p < 0.05), while no significant differences at all the other time points among the four groups were observed. Conclusion The response to the stimulation varied among patients with different phenotypes of PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria. Serum VEGF and AT-II were possible contributors to an increased risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in patients with typical PCOS during the early follicular phase (3 hours) after ovarian stimulation (Registration Number: NCT02265861).

Cell adhesion to the substratum and/or other cells is a crucial step of cell migration. While essential in the case of solitary migrating cells (for example, immune cells), it becomes particularly important in collective cell migration, in which cells maintain contact with their neighbors while moving directionally. Adhesive coordination is paramount in physiological contexts (for example, during organogenesis) but also in pathology (for example, tumor metastasis). In this review, we address the need for a coordinated regulation of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions during collective cell migration. We emphasize the role of the actin cytoskeleton as an intracellular integrator of cadherin- and integrin-based adhesions and the emerging role of mechanics in the maintenance, reinforcement, and turnover of adhesive contacts. Recent advances in understanding the mechanical regulation of several components of cadherin and integrin adhesions allow us to revisit the adhesive clutch hypothesis that controls the degree of adhesive engagement during protrusion. Finally, we provide a brief overview of the major impact of these discoveries when using more physiological three-dimensional models of single and collective cell migration.