Evaluation of lung scintigraphy using N-isopropyl-p-[123I]-iodoamphetamine

N-isopropyl-p-[123I]-iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) was examined for its relevancy as a labeling medium of lung scintigraphy in 30 patients with lung diseases and 20 healthy subjects. Lung diseases were classified into carcinoma and diffuse lung disease, and the all subjects with normal lung were classified into smokers and nonsmokers. To assess the reduction curve of 123I-IMP, mean transit time was calculated. Forced spirography was performed and spirographic values were analyzed. Spirographic parameters examined were vital capacity percent (%VC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec divided by forced vital capacity (%) (FEV1.0%), and blood gas data. In the correlation matrix, the mean transit time was correlated with blood gas data, and not with %VC or FEV1.0%. In patients with lung diseases, the mean transit time was significantly prolonged; however, the difference was not significant between groups of carcinoma and benign disease, and between groups of smokers and nonsmokers. Wash-out images were obtained by the subtraction technique using the first frame image and 100-min delayed image. In patients with lung carcinoma, 87.5% of the tumors were depicted on wash-out images. The lesions were also depicted well in benign lung diseases. But among findings of wash-out image by 123I-IMP, air trapping image by 133Xe study and XCT study, there are some discordances to be clarified.     

Pulse feeding with nitrate and phosphate in relation to tissue composition and nutrient uptake by some macroalgae from the Red Sea at Ghardaqa (Egypt)

This investigation aimed at determining the effects of experimental enrichment with either N or P or both elements on the tissue nutrient levels, and on the internal N: P molar ratios of three macroalgal species collected in the vicinity of Ghardaqa, Red Sea, Egypt The results obtained showed that the rates of nutrient (nitrate and phosphate) uptake were highly species dependent. Uptake rates of both nutrients were significantly higher for Codium than for either Dictyota or Galaxaura. For the three algae, uptake, except nitrate by Galaxaura, was rapid during the first 6 h of immersion and declined during the rest of the experiment. The observed increases in N levels after 6 h of enrichment decreased sharply after 24 h of enrichment. The fluctuations in tissue-N were accompanied by fluctuations in protein levels. Total carbohydrate content of the three macroalgae was decreased in seawater treatments enriched with either N or N+P for 24 h compared with non-enriched plants or plants enriched with P only. For the three macroalgae, enrichment with P resulted in consistent increases in tissue-P levels over the experimental period. The changes in the N:P ratios of the three plants were significantly correlated with the increases in tissue -P as compared to tissue -N. G. rugosa appeared to be the most strongly nutrient - limited of the three algal species studied and D. dichotoma was the least.     

Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement With the Melody Valve in Small Diameter Expandable Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Conduits

Objectives

This study sought to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) in conduits ≤16 mm in diameter.

Assessment of circulating FCεRIa in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria patients and its correlation with clinical and immunological variables

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a chronic type characterized by episodes of wheals with or without angioedema. Autoantibody against the alpha subunit of Fc epsilon receptor (FcεRIa) was detected in CSU patients' sera. The study aims to evaluate the clinical utility of skin tests in CSU patients. In addition, it assesses the presence of circulating FcεRIa in CSU patients and their correlation with other clinical and immunological variables. The study includes 40 healthy controls and 40 CSU patients who had urticaria symptoms for at least 8 weeks. All subjects underwent the following tests: autologous serum skin test (ASST), autologous plasma skin test (APST), immunoglobulin E (IgE), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antithyroid antibodies (ATA). An in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for FcεRIa detection. The prevalence of ANA and ATA in CSU was 7.5% and 20% respectively. Total IgE was significantly higher in CSU than in controls (p?<?0.0001). The study detected circulating antibody to FcεRIα in 2.5% of controls and 52.5% of CSU patients (p?<?0.0001). The prevalence of antibody to FcεRIa was 27.3% and 83.3% of ASST negative and positive patients respectively (p?=?0.0004). But the prevalence was 17.6% and 78.3% of APST negative and positive patients respectively (p?=?0.0002). In conclusion, Circulating antibody to FcεRIa has a role in the pathogenic mechanisms of CSU.     

Radiation Exposure by Three-Dimensional Rotational Angiography (3DRA) During Trans-catheter Melody Pulmonary Valve Procedures (TMPV) in a Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

This retrospective study aims to evaluate radiation exposure by three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) during trans-catheter Melody pulmonary valve (TMPV) procedures. 3DRA has been reported to have added value in the management of complex congenital heart disease aiding in the performance of interventional procedures albeit with concerns of higher radiation exposure. We test the hypothesis that 3DRA does not cause additional radiation exposure during TMPV procedures. We analyzed all 81 TMPV procedures performed at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, MO, USA, from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2014. Dose-area product (DAP), DAP indexed to body weight (DAP/BW), fluoroscopy time (FT), and weight–fluoroscopy time product of each procedure were recorded. We reviewed each procedure’s images to determine whether additional interventions were performed (e.g., pulmonary artery angioplasty or treatment of conduit pseudo-aneurysm). 3DRA was used in 36 % of the procedures. 3DRA group had a higher number of additional procedures performed. The 3DRA group did not differ from the non-3DRA group in DAP, DAP/BW, and weight–fluoroscopy time product. 3DRA does not cause greater radiation exposure during TMPV procedures.     

Developmental Expression of Eph and Ephrin Family Genes in Mammalian Small Intestine

Background  

Eph receptor tyrosine kinases EphB2 and EphB3, and ephrin-B1 ligand play a critical role in regulating small intestinal epithelial cell migration. Although well studied in developing brain, the expression pattern of Ephs/ephrins has not been delineated in the developing small intestine.     

Antiparasitic,nematicidal and antifouling constituents from Juniperus berries

A bioassay‐guided fractionation of Juniperus procera berries yielded antiparasitic, nematicidal and antifouling constituents, including a wide range of known abietane, pimarane and labdane diterpenes. Among these, abieta‐7,13‐diene (1) demonstrated in vitro antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum D6 and W2 strains (IC₅₀ = 1.9 and 2.0 µg/mL, respectively), while totarol (6), ferruginol (7) and 7β‐hydroxyabieta‐8,13‐diene‐11,12‐dione (8) inhibited Leishmania donovani promastigotes with IC₅₀ values of 3.5–4.6 µg/mL. In addition, totarol demonstrated nematicidal and antifouling activities against Caenorhabditis elegans and Artemia salina at a concentration of 80 µg/mL and 1 µg/mL, respectively. The resinous exudate of J. virginiana afforded known antibacterial E‐communic acid (4) and 4‐epi‐abietic acid (5), while the volatile oil from its trunk wood revealed large quantities of cedrol (9). Using GC/MS, the two known abietanes totarol (6) and ferruginol (7) were identified from the berries of J. procera, J. excelsa and J. phoenicea. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.