The intrinsic synthesis of juvenile hormone-III diol by locust corpora allata in vitro

Juvenile hormone (JH)-III 10-11-diol is intrinsically synthesized and released from the corpora allata (CA) of adult locust females in vitro, together with JH-III. JH-III synthesis is preferentially stimulated and diol production only slightly enhanced, by cerebral locust allatotropin. The identification of JH-III diol is based on: similar ratio of incorporation of 14C/3H from radiolabelled [2-14C]acetate and [methyl-3H]methionine, to that of JH-III; similar chromatographic properties to those of synthetic diol on an RP-18 column eluted with acetonitrile, and similar chromatographic properties of acetylated derivatives; mass spectrometric analysis of derivatives and fragmentation products. Exogenous radiolabelled JH-III is not degraded during incubation with locust CA in vitro, corroborating the endogenous production of JH-III diol. Allatal diol formation may be an additional mechanism for the control of JH-III levels in locusts, preceding release into the hemolymph.     

Motor unit action potential duration and muscle length.

Motor unit action potential (MUAP) components are investigated by means of single fiber computer simulations and clinical measurements. The single fiber simulations have essentially full bandwidth without noise, whereas the clinical measurements were made with a 3-10,000-Hz bandwidth utilizing approximately 1000 averages to reduce noise optimally. These parameters allow the recording of a MUAP's complete "physiologic" duration including its very slow onset and termination. The simulation results demonstrate a constant waveform onset regardless of the electrode's recording location along the fiber. A far-field potential is initiated when the action potential encounters the muscle fiber's termination. The simulated waveform's and clinically recorded MUAP's near-field component extends between the potential's onset and its corresponding far-field potential's onset. This near-field component's duration should vary with fiber length, and this prediction is clinically confirmed by measuring three different muscle lengths. The far-field potential reveals a constant duration, independent of fiber length, and appears to be associated with the muscle fiber's intracellular action potential duration. A more complete understanding of the components contributing to MUAP duration should provide a more fundamental basis for quantitative clinical MUAP duration measurements.     

Prospective comparison of child asthma education in the emergency department and at scheduled follow-up consultation]

OBJECTIVES: To assess asthma control in asthmatic children attending the emergency department and to compare it with that for children with scheduled specialist follow-up. POPULATION AND METHODS: Between September 2002 and September 2003, we included asthmatic children aged 6 to 16 years, attending the emergency department (group U) or pulmonology follow-up appointments (group C) at Necker Hospital, Paris, France. We used the Asthma Therapy Assessment Questionnaire (ATAQ), completed by the parents and children aged 10 years and over. RESULTS: We interviewed 156 families and included 144 (92%) in the final analysis (77 in group U). The 2 groups did not differ in age, sex ratio, age at onset and asthma diagnosis and the frequency of asthma attacks. Children in group U received less daily maintenance treatment (P<0.01) but reported more severe asthma (P<0.05). They had also experienced fewer investigations for their asthma (fewer lung function tests P=0.01 and allergy tests P=0.001). The children in group C had better controlled asthma, as assessed by both the children themselves and their parents. They also had fewer problems relating to the behavior, communication and treatment control domains. The assessment of children and parents were similar in all areas except communication. The children considered their communication problems to be more serious than their parents did. Age-related differences were observed, with older children's parents having more difficulties in all domains investigated. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should consider assessing asthma control in children attending the emergency department. There is clearly an opportunity to improve the quality of asthma education for these children. Clinicians could provide children with a written plan of action for asthma attacks and information about daily self-management. Improving communication between children, their parents and doctors should be considered a key educational project.     

The Utility of Shear-Wave Elastography in the Evaluation of Myositis

Changes in muscle elasticity are expected in patients with untreated myositis. The purpose of this study was to define the accuracy of shear-wave elastography (SWE) in diagnosing myositis. This case control study included 21 patients (mean age, 49.4 y; 12 women) with myositis who underwent SWE, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biopsy of the involved muscle group. SWE was performed accordingly in a control group (n = 24; mean age, 51.2 y; 8 women). Blood tests consisted of creatine kinase (CK) and aldolase. Two operators performed SWE in longitudinal and transverse planes of muscular fibers, quantifying the mean shear-wave velocity (SWV) and the pattern of stiffness. On MRI, short-TI inversion recovery (STIR) signal hyperintensity and T1 contrast enhancement of muscle was considered diagnostic for myositis. The patient group suffered from different types of myositis (nine patients with polymyositis, eight with dermatomyositis and four with other types of myositis). Blood tests showed significantly increased CK and aldolase values in patients with myositis (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001). MRI showed a sensitivity of 0.95. In the patient group, the mean SWVs of longitudinal and transverse measurements were 2.8 ± 1.4 m/s and 3.1 ± 1.2 m/s, respectively. In the control group, SWVs were 2.3 ± 0.5 m/s and 2.4 ± 0.5 m/s, respectively. The difference between transverse measurements was significant (p = 0.02). Increased heterogeneity as a marker for myositis in transverse SWE showed a sensitivity of 0.8, specificity of 0.79, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.76 and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.82. Inter-observer difference was very low (κ = 0.92). Increased heterogeneity in both planes compared with histologic results showed a sensitivity of 0.56, specificity of 0.93, PPV of 0.91 and NPV of 0.62. Spearman correlation between CK <1000 U/L and SWE was 0.54. In conclusion, transverse orientation SWE may serve as an imaging biomarker for the diagnosis of myositis through the display of a heterogeneous pattern and increased absolute SWV values of inflamed muscles.     

Pictorial essay of ultrasound‐reconstructed coronal plane images of the uterus in different uterine pathologies

Imaging in the major planes (horizontal, coronal, and sagittal) of the uterus is important for determining anatomy and allowing the findings to be standardized, and for evaluating and diagnosing different pathological conditions in clinical practice. Examination of the coronal plane is an important step in identifying uterine pathologies and their relationships to the endometrial canal. Three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasound reveals the normal anatomy better and improves the depiction of abnormal anatomy, as the coronal plane of the uterus can easily be obtained using 3D reconstruction techniques. Our pictorial essay demonstrates that adding 3D ultrasound to a routine gynecological workup can be beneficial for clinicians, enabling a precise diagnosis to be made. In addition, the volumes obtained and stored by 3D ultrasound can allow students or residents to become more familiar with normal and abnormal pelvic structures. Clin. Anat. 31:373–379, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A new two‐dimensional sonographic approach to the assessment of the fetal hard and soft palates

Facial clefts are among the most common congenital defects. Ultrasound (US) imaging of secondary fetal palate, especially the detection of isolated defects, remains challenging. Currently described two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional methods are technically demanding and impractical for application during routine fetal anatomy evaluation. As an adjunct method, magnetic resonance imaging can provide additional information but has its limitations. We present a novel 2D US approach using axial and sagittal planes to evaluate the fetal palate and demonstrate the main differences between an intact palate, isolated cleft palate, and a cleft lip with cleft palate.     

Gene expression changes in aging retinal microglia: relationship to microglial support functions and regulation of activation

Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative disorders. It has been hypothesized that microglia undergo age-related changes in gene expression patterns that give rise to pathogenic phenotypes. We compared the gene expression profiles in microglia isolated ex vivo from the retinas of mice ranging from early adulthood to late senescence. We discovered that microglial gene expression demonstrated progressive change with increasing age, and involved genes that regulate microglial supportive functions and immune activation. Molecular pathways involving immune function and regulation, angiogenesis, and neurotrophin signaling demonstrated age-related change. In particular, expression levels of complement genes, C3 and CFB, previously associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), increased with aging, suggesting that senescent microglia may contribute to complement dysregulation during disease pathogenesis. Taken together, senescent microglia demonstrate age-related gene expression changes capable of altering their constitutive support functions and regulation of their activation status in ways relating to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the CNS.