Analysis of cyanogens with resorcinol and picrate

The total cyanogenic potential of various substrates (flax seed, stones of peach, plum, nectarine and apricot as well as apple seeds, and various model compounds) was investigated by using the acid hydrolysis method, picrate method, and a novel method based on the reaction of cyanide liberated from plants with resorcinol and picrate. The hydrocyanic acid liberated from cyanogens was trapped by using a 1% sodium bicarbonate. Then, 1 ml of extract was mixed with 1 ml of working reagent containing 160 microg of resorcinol, 320 microg of picric acid, and 30 mg of sodium carbonate, and heated on a boiling water bath for 10 min. The absorbance was measured at 488 nm in 1cm glass cuvettes at room temperature. The color system obeys Beer's law in the range of 0-5 microg ml(-1) total HCN. Using model compounds and real samples including replicate analyses on prunasin, the resorcinol method proved to be more accurate, reproducible, and especially more sensitive than the known spectrophotometric methods such as the acid hydrolysis method and the picrate method.     

Folic acid deficiency during late gestation decreases progenitor cell proliferation and increases apoptosis in fetal mouse brain

In mice and rats, maternal dietary choline intake during late pregnancy modulates mitosis and apoptosis in progenitor cells of the fetal hippocampus and septum. Because choline and folate are interrelated metabolically, we investigated the effects of maternal dietary folate availability on progenitor cells in fetal mouse telencephalon. Timed-pregnant mice were fed a folate-supplemented (FS), control (FCT) or folate-deficient (FD) AIN-76 diet from d 11-17 of pregnancy. FD decreased the number of progenitor cells undergoing cell replication in the ventricular zones of the developing mouse brain septum (46.6% of FCT), caudate putamen (43.5%), and neocortex (54.4%) as assessed using phosphorylated histone H3 (a specific marker of mitotic phase) and confirmed by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling of the S phase. In addition, 106.2% more apoptotic cells were found in FD than in FCT fetal septum. We observed 46.8% more calretinin-positive cells in the medial septal-diagonal band region of FD compared with pups from control dams. FS mice did not differ significantly from FCT mice in any of these measures. These results suggest that progenitor cells in fetal forebrain are sensitive to maternal dietary folate during late gestation.     

Heterotopic bone formation in gastric carcinoma. Case report and discussion of the literature

Osseous metaplasia is a rare finding in the gastrointestinal tract. We report the case of a 75-year-old woman with a gastric adenocarcinoma showing heterotopic ossification with bone marrow formation. The pathogenetic theories are briefly discussed.     

Optical and Photosensitive Properties of Flexible n (p)–InSe/In2O3 Heterojunctions

In this work, optical, including photoluminescence and photosensitivity, characteristics of micrometer-sized flexible n (p)–InSe/In₂O₃ heterojunctions, obtained by heat treatment of single-crystalline InSe plates doped with (0.5 at.%) Cd (Sn), in a water-vapor- and oxygen-enriched atmosphere, are investigated. The Raman spectrum of In₂O₃ layers on an InSe:Sn substrate, in the wavelength range of 105–700 cm⁻¹, contains the vibration band characteristic of the cubic (bcc-In₂O₃) phase. As revealed by EDX spectra, the In₂O₃ layer, ~2 μm thick, formed on InSe:Cd contains an ~18% excess of atomic oxygen. The absorption edge of InSe:Sn (Cd)/In₂O₃ structures was studied by ultraviolet reflectance spectroscopy and found to be 3.57 eV and ~3.67 eV for InSe:Cd and InSe:Sn substrates, respectively. By photoluminescence analysis, the influence of doping impurities on the emission bands of In₂O₃:Sn (Cd) was revealed and the energies of dopant-induced and oxygen-induced levels created by diffusion into the InSe layer from the InSe/In₂O₃ interface were determined. The n (p)–InSe/In₂O₃ structures display a significantly wide spectral range of photosensitivity (1.2–4.0 eV), from ultraviolet to near infrared. The influence of Cd and Sn concentrations on the photosensitivity and recombination of nonequilibrium charge carriers in n (p)–InSe layers from the heterojunction interface was also studied. The as-obtained nanosized InSe/In₂O₃ structures are suitable for optoelectronic applications.     

Clinical decision support to reduce unnecessary diagnostic testing for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

Appropriate evaluation of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is imperative because of the potentially life-threatening complications. However, overtesting and overdiagnosis of HIT are common. Our goal was to evaluate the impact of clinical decision support (CDS) based on the HIT computerized-risk (HIT-CR) score, designed to reduce unnecessary diagnostic testing. This retrospective observational study evaluated CDS that presented a platelet count versus time graph and 4Ts score calculator to clinicians who initiated a HIT immunoassay order in patients with predicted low risk (HIT-CR score 0–2). The primary outcome was the proportion of immunoassay orders initiated but cancelled after firing of the CDS advisory. Chart reviews were conducted to assess anticoagulation usage, 4Ts scores and the proportion of patients who had HIT. In a 20-week period, 319 CDS advisories were presented to users who initiated potentially unnecessary HIT diagnostic testing. The diagnostic test order was discontinued in 80 (25%) patients. Heparin products were continued in 139 (44%) patients, and alternative anticoagulation was not given to 264 (83%). The negative predictive value of the advisory was 98.8% (95% CI: 97.2–99.5). HIT-CR score-based CDS can reduce unnecessary diagnostic testing for HIT in patients with a low pretest probability of HIT.