Thiocarbohydrazide-crosslinked chitosan as a bioinspired corrosion inhibitor for protection of stainless steel in 3.5% NaCl

A facile single-step synthesis was performed to cross-link chitosan with thiocarbohydrazide to yield thiocarbohydrazide-chitosan (TC-Cht) which was for the first time evaluated as an inhibitor for corrosion of stainless steel in 3.5% NaCl solution. A comprehensive electrochemical analysis employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) was undertaken and showed that the TC-Cht acts by adsorption on the steel surface and exhibits mixed type behavior with predominantly cathodic nature. The adsorption of TC-Cht molecules on the surface of stainless steel followed the Langmuir isotherm. The TC-Cht showed a high inhibition efficiency of >94% at 500 mg L^?1 concentration. Surface investigation using SEM and EDX supported the inhibitor adsorption on the steel surface.     

Reliability of body size measurements obtained at autopsy: impact on the pathologic assessment of the heart

Purpose Assessment of body size at autopsy is important for interpreting organ weight measurements and in some cases body identification. The reliability of post-mortem body size measurements, the causes for perturbations in these measurements from their corresponding pre-mortem values, and the impact of such perturbations on heart weight interpretation have not been fully explored. Methods Autopsy body length and weight measurements and pre-mortem height and body weight measurements were compared in 132 autopsies. Clinical records were evaluated for peripheral edema and serum albumin levels. Causes of death, body cavity fluid collections, and heart weights were obtained from the autopsy reports. A subset of patients underwent quantitative post-mortem computed tomography assessment of anasarca. Results At autopsy, body weight differed from the pre-mortem value by 11 ± 1 %, compared with ?0.2 ± 0.3 % for body length (P < 0.0001). The percent change in body weight at autopsy correlated with the presence of peripheral edema (14 ± 2 % vs. 7 ± 2 %, P = 0.01), serum albumin < 3.0 g/dL (16 ± 2 % vs. 7 ± 2 %, P = 0.001), and the degree of anasarca (P = 0.01). In 4 % of autopsies, heart weights were abnormal based on the pre-mortem body weight, but would be classified as normal based on the elevated post-mortem body weight. Conclusions At autopsy, body weight is a less reliable parameter than body length in correlating with the corresponding pre-mortem measurement. Autopsy body weights are elevated in part due to peripheral edema/anasarca. Alterations in body weight at autopsy can confound the interpretation of organ weight measurements.     

Elevated intracellular level of basic fibroblast growth factor correlates with stage of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and is associated with resistance to fludarabine

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by delayed senescence and slow accumulation of monoclonal, small lymphocytes. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a role in hematopoiesis and apoptosis. Elevated bFGF levels have been detected in urine from patients with a variety of neoplastic diseases including various leukemias; however, the cellular source of the bFGF has not been determined. In this study, the intracellular bFGF level in lymphocytes of 36 patients with B-CLL and 15 normal donors was determined using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. In cells derived from patients with high-risk disease, the median level of intracellular bFGF was 381.5 pg/2 x 10(5) cells, compared with a median of 90.5 pg/2 x 10(5) cells in patients with intermediate disease. In patients with low- risk disease, the median bFGF level was 4.9 pg/2 x 10(5) cells, and in normal controls, it was 6.0 pg/2 x 10(5) cells. The difference in the bFGF levels was significant for the comparison between low- and intermediate-risk (P = .00119), low- and high-risk (P < .0001), and intermediate- and high-risk disease (P = .0001). Immunofluorescent stains of peripheral blood mononuclear cells confirmed CLL lymphocytes as a cellular source of bFGF. To evaluate the potential contribution of elevated intracellular bFGF levels to the phenotype of CLL cells, leukemic cells were cultured in vitro with an apoptotic stimulus (fludarabine). CLL cells with high intracellular levels of bFGF appeared to be more resistant to fludarabine treatment. The addition of bFGF to fludarabine-treated CLL cells resulted in a delay of apoptosis and prolonged survival. These data suggest that bFGF may contribute to the resistance of CLL cells to an apoptotic stimulus.     

Cardiac pathology after valve replacement by disc prosthesis: A study of 61 necropsy patients

Clinical and necropsy observations are described in 61 patients who had one or more cardiac valves replaced with a discoid prosthesis of the Hufnagel type. The most common (31 percent) cause of death among the 45 patients who died early (less than 65 days after operation) appeared to be prosthetic disproportion; that is, the prosthesis was too big for the aorta or ventricular cavity into which it was inserted so that inadequate space was present between the margins of the disc and the endocardium of ventricle or intima of aorta. Prosthetic thrombosis occurred in only 3 of the 45 patients who died early, but poppet movement appeared considerably altered in each. In contrast, thrombi were observed on a prosthesis in 14 of the 16 patients who died late (4 to 47 months [average 21] postoperatively), but in none did the thrombi appear of sufficient size to alter poppet function. Excessive bleeding occurred in 11 (24 percent) of the 45 early deaths and was primarily related to the insertion of a patch in the root of the aorta. Uncorrected valvular disease either by itself or by its ability to alter function of the prosthesis appeared responsible for death in 6 (13 percent) of the 45 patients who died early and in 2 (6 percent) of the 16 who died late. Insertion of a mitral poppet disc in a patient with uncorrected aortic regurgitation, even of mild degree, may be hazardous because the aortic regurgitant jet stream may interfere with proper function of the mitral disc. Likewise, insertion of a poppet disc only in the aortic valve position in a patient with combined aortic and mitral regurgitation may considerably increase the degree of mitral incompetence because the aortic prosthesis is intrinsically obstructive.Disc wear or variance was observed in all but one prosthesis in place for more than 1 year. Although hemolytic anemia of significant degree was not observed in any of the 16 patients who died late, the occurrence of renal hemosiderosis in 13 of the 16 patients indicates that the poppet disc prosthesis is considerably traumatic to erythrocytes. Thus, this type of prosthesis is not an ideal substitute cardiac valve. It clots, despite anticoagulant therapy, it is intrinsically stenotic, portions of it, that is, the disc, degenerate, and it causes hemolysis to erythrocytes.     

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma presenting with complete opacification of the hemithorax: A case report

BACKGROUND

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma, a subtype of primary lung sarcoma is a very rare disease. It usually presents as a lung nodules and the final diagnosis is made by immunohistochemical studies.

METHODS

A 45-year-old patient presented with progressive dyspnea, dry cough and right shoulder pain. Chest X-ray revealed complete opacification of the right hemithorax. Chest computed tomography confirmed the presence of a heterogeneous lesion occupying the whole right hemithorax causing a mass effect on the trachea. Ultrasound guided biopsy was done and final pathology was suggestive of malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

CONCLUSION

Progressive dyspnea in young otherwise healthy patients should be investigated early on. In our case the presence of right shoulder pain indicates advance disease illustrated by the singular imaging findings.     

Lack of Amphetamine-Like Effects After Administration of Mefenorex in Normal Young Subjects

Mefenorex is an indirect sympathomimetic amine which acts as an anorectic drug and is used in combination with low diet to treat excess weight. The central nervous system (CNS) effects of mefenorex were assessed in a randomized, double-blind, three-way cross-over, placebo-controlled study involving nine healthy young male volunteers. They received either a single oral dose of mefenorex 80 mg (twice the recommended dose) or d-amphetamine sulfate 18 mg or a placebo at 1-week intervals. CNS pharmacodynamic measurements consisted of subjective evaluation (visual analogue scales and the Addiction Research Centre inventory (ARCI)), EEG, psychomotor performance and attention (tracking, simple and choice reaction times, tapping, continuous performance task, DSST, body sway) and memory (working memory and recall of a word list). d-Amphetamine produced a typical psychostimulant EEG profile (significant decrease in slow delta waves and increase in fast beta activities), significantly increased amphetamine, benzedrine and morphine–benzedrine scores of ARCI and significantly decreased body sway compared to placebo and mefenorex. A trend in favour of a stimulant effect occurred for all other parameters (particularly speed of reaction) and no changes of memory were noticed. In contrast, mefenorex did not produce an amphetamine-like EEG profile, neither significantly changed ARCI scores nor significantly modified psychomotor and memory performance compared to the placebo, although it induced a decrease in body sway. In conclusion, the present results indicate that a single oral dose of mefenorex, at twice the recommended daily dose, does not possess amphetamine-like subjective and EEG stimulant effects or sensations of well-being, often encountered with drugs of abuse liability potential, in a healthy young population.     

Polyreactive antigen-binding B cells in the peripheral circulation are IgD+ and B7−

Polyreactive antibodies are naturally occurring antibodies, primarily of the IgM isotype, that are capable of reacting with a wide variety of different self and non-self antigens. Previously, we reported that a B cell capable of making polyreactive antibody has Ig receptors on its surface that can bind different antigens. The present investigation was initiated to characterize these polyreactive antigen-binding B cells further. A panel of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled antigens (insulin, IgG Fc fragment or β-galactosidase) served as probes to select polyreactive antigen-binding B cells by cell sorting. Our experiment revealed that these polyreactive antigen-binding B cells were mainly of the IgD isotype. They expressed high levels of CD40 and major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, but little or no B7-1, B7-2, or Fas. In contrast to the binding of antigens to monoreactive receptors (usually high affinity), the binding of antigens to polyreactive receptors (usually moderate or low affinity) did not up-regulate the expression of B7-1 or B7-2. Antigens that bound to polyreactive receptors, however, were internalized and degraded, although not as efficiently as antigens that bound to monoreactive receptors. Despite the ability of these B7⁻ cells to process antigens, they were not able to activate T cells in a mixed leukocyte reaction. It is concluded that polyreactive antigen-binding B cells have properties that are consistent with the ability to induce immunological tolerance.