Adipokines and Systemic Inflammation in Weight-Losing Lung Cancer Patients

Background  

Cancer cachexia is a devastating condition leading to loss of function and independence, decreased performance status, decreased quality of life, and poor prognosis. Adipokines play a role in a wide variety of physiological or pathological processes, including immunity and inflammation, in addition to having significant effects on metabolism and lipogenesis. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship of adipokines and systemic inflammation in weight-losing advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.     

Falcine venous plexus within the falx cerebri: anatomical and scanning electron microscopic findings and clinical significance

Background

Only limited attention has been paid to the anatomy and clinical importance of the falcine venous plexus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the falcine venous plexus anatomically using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and to provide guidance for neurosurgical approaches.

Methods

Latex or ink was injected into the superior and inferior sagittal sinus. The falcine venous plexus lying within the connective tissue of the falx cerebri was observed by dividing the falx into thirds (anterior, middle and posterior). Further, the SEM appearance of the falcine venous plexus was evaluated.

Results

The anterior third of the falx cerebri consisted of small diameter falcine venous vessels. These vessels were localized close to either the superior or inferior sagittal sinus, and none extended as far as mid-falx cerebri levels in any of the 16 cases. They communicated with either superior or inferior sagittal sinuses, but not with both of these sinuses. In the middle third of the falx cerebri, the majority of the vessels of the falcine venous plexus had larger diameter compared to those of the anterior third. These vessels extended the length of the falx cerebri levels. They communicated with both superior and inferior sagittal sinuses. In the posterior third of the falx cerebri, the vessels of the falcine venous plexuses had the largest diameter and were located at the junction of the inferior sagittal sinus and the straight sinus. They were localized at the lower two-thirds of the falx cerebri. In all cases, the dense venous networks communicated with the inferior sagittal sinus but not with the superior sagittal sinus. The falcine venous plexus observed in the posterior third of the falx cerebri was denser than in the anterior and middle portions. The SEM revealed small vessels whose diameter ranged between 42 and 138 μm. The vessels of the falcine venous plexus in the anterior third had a mean diameter of 0.42?±?0.1 mm, in the middle third a mean diameter of 0.87?±?0.17 mm, and in the posterior third, 1.38?±?0.21 mm.

Conclusion

The falcine venous plexus is a network of venous channels that exists within the connective tissue of the falx; the sizes and patterns of communication of these structures showed regional differences. Neurosurgeons should be aware of the regional differences when making an incision or puncturing the falx during a surgical approach.     

Effect of thiophene linker addition to fluorene-benzotriazole polymers with the purpose of achieving white emission in OLEDs

With the purpose of obtaining white emission from single layer organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), fluorene benzotriazole based polymers with double bond subunits (namely TP2 and SP3 with and without thiophene linker, respectively) were synthesized by a Suzuki cross-coupling polymerization reaction. SP3 and TP2 were used as an emissive layer of the OLED devices due to their outstanding solubility in organic solvents, photoluminescence intensity and morphological suitability for fine thin film-forming capability. The optical, electrochemical, light emission and electroluminescence characteristics, Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and admittance spectroscopic analysis of OLEDs based on SP3 and TP2 were realized in detail to understand the effects of thiophene linker addition as a donor unit to the main chain of fluorene benzotriazole based polymers. As a result, TP2 emitted a bright yellow emission with a maximum brightness of 243 cd m⁻² at 40 mA cm⁻², and a maximum current efficiency of 1.38 cd A⁻¹ with more broad electroluminescence characteristics than SP3 polymer without the thiophene linker. SP3 emitted a greenish yellow emission with a maximum brightness of 1001 cd m⁻² at 845 mA cm⁻², and a maximum current efficiency of 0.33 cd A⁻¹. Carrier transport properties, charge carrier transit time and the equivalent circuit modelling studies were obtained through admittance spectroscopy. An equivalent circuit model with a combination of two resistors and one capacitor explained the charge conduction mechanism of SP3 and TP2 based OLEDs. SP3 and TP2 OLED devices represented typical p-type transporting characteristics with mobilities of 0.073 and 0.017 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively with simplified device configuration. All the results indicate that thiophene addition to the main chain of fluorene benzotriazole based polymers with double bond subunits lead to a promising candidate for white emissive materials used in single layer white OLEDs.

Fluorene-benzotriazole based polymers with double bound subunits were prepared for white light electroluminescence applications.     

Implant‐associated localized osteitis in murine femur fracture by biofilm forming Staphylococcus aureus: A novel experimental model

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is the most common causative agent for implant‐associated osteitis. The present study characterizes a novel model of a low grade acute SA osteitis with bone defect in the femur which is stabilized by a titanium locking plate. Wild‐type Balb/c mice were osteotomized, fixed by a locking plate and infected with SA. Mice underwent debridement 7 and 14 days later and were sacrificed at Day 28. At Days 7, 14, and 28 after inoculation local and systemic cell populations and IL‐6 were analyzed. Fracture healing was quantified by radiography. The control group underwent the same procedure without infection. The bacterial load of implant‐associated osteitis with biofilm formation was quantified by counting CFU and real‐time PCR. Fracture healing determined by radiography was delayed in infected compared to non‐infected mice. Throughout the investigation period CFU and leukocyte counts, as well as IL‐6 levels were found to be significantly elevated in infected mice at the infection site but not systemically. Our murine model allows the detailed investigation of implant associated localized osteitis with biofilm producing SA and its influence on fracture healing. The model provides a tool to analyze therapeutic or prophylactic approaches to the problem of biofilm‐associated osteitis. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:2013–2020, 2013     

Safety and efficacy of single-incision sling for female stress urinary incontinence: 3 years’ results

Introduction and hypothesis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the success and complication rates of single-incision sling for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI), with a 3-year follow-up.

Methods

This study comprised 173 female patients with SUI or mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) with dominant SUI who underwent minisling procedure. All patients had positive cough stress test preoperatively; they were followed up for 3 years after surgery (1, 3, 6, 12 months, and yearly).

Results

Total follow-up was 36 months, and mean age 51 years (44–77); 128 (74 %) patients presented SUI and 45 (26 %) MUI. Objective and subjective cure and failure rates were 83.8 % (145 cases), 6.4 % (11 cases), and 9.8 % (17 cases), respectively. There were no differences in cure rates between 1 and 3 years. Mean body mass index was 28.7 (26.1–35.2), and mean operating time 7.9 min. (6.5–11.9). There were no major intraoperative complications. Eleven patients (6.4 %) had de novo urge incontinence that resolved using anticholinergic drugs; no patient had urinary retention. Vaginal mesh extrusion was reported in nine (5.2 %) patients.

Conclusions

The minisling system attained high success rates at 3 years’ follow-up. The procedure was easy to learn and has lower complication rate.

     

Classification of carotid artery Doppler signals in the early phase of atherosclerosis using complex-valued artificial neural network

In this study, carotid arterial Doppler ultrasound signals were acquired from left carotid arteries of 38 patients and 40 healthy volunteers. The patient group had an established diagnosis of the early phase of atherosclerosis through coronary or aortofemoropopliteal angiographies. Results were classified using complex-valued artificial neural network (CVANN). Principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy c-means clustering (FCM) algorithm were used to make a CVANN system more effective. For this aim, before classifying with CVANN, PCA method was used for feature extraction in PCA-CVANN architecture and FCM algorithm was used for data set reduction in FCM-CVANN architecture. Training and test data were selected randomly using 10-fold cross validation. PCA-CVANN and FCM-CVANN architectures classified healthy and unhealthy subjects for training and test data with about 100% correct classification rate. These results shown that PCA-CVANN and FCM-CVANN classified Doppler signals successfully.     

Alteration of thiol-disulfide homeostasis in workers occupationally exposed to arsenic

This study evaluates the redox state in occupationally arsenic-exposed workers (n = 71) by assessing the dynamic serum thiol-disulfide homeostasis. We determined the serum thiol-disulfide homeostasis parameters of exposed workers and controls (n = 43) using a novel automated colorimetric assay. Median urinary As and 8-isoprostane levels of exposed group were significantly higher than control group (16.40 μg/L vs 2μg/L, p < .001 and 2.28 ng/ml vs 0.54 ng/ml, p < .001, respectively). Disulfide level, disulfide/native thiol ratio, and disulfide/total thiol ratio were significantly higher in exposed group. The mean ceruloplasmine and myeloperoxidase activities of As-exposed group were significantly higher than control group (117.15 U/L vs 87.02 U/L, p = .035 and 148.53 U/L vs 97.75 U/L, p = .000, respectively). The median catalase activity did not differ in the two groups. Our findings revealed that As disrupts the thiol-disulfide homeostasis in favor of disulfide.