Periorbital Syringoma: A Pilot Study of the Efficacy of Low-Voltage Electrocoagulation

BACKGROUND: Management of periorbital syringomas is problematic and avoided by many inexperienced physicians. The medical literature presently prefers CO(2) laser resurfacing to many other modalities, but the subject of electrosurgery has not been well explored. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of electrocoagulation at low voltages in treating periorbital syringomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty cases were collected during the period of 2002 through 2005. All cases were photographed before treatment with a dual-frequency 4-MHz radiofrequency device (Surgitron, Ellman International, Inc., Hewlett, NY) at a power of 1 to 2 in electrocoagulation mode. Six-week follow-up visits were scheduled to discuss occurrences and expectations, observe treatment effects, and apply further electrosurgery if needed. RESULTS: Clinical improvement increased with each subsequent treatment session. All patients scored either moderate or marked clinical improvement by their final visits, with 60% (11/18) revealing a marked clinical improvement (i.e., >70% clearance). The most common encountered adverse effects consisted of periorbital burning, swelling, redness, and pigmentary changes. CONCLUSION: Low-voltage electrocoagulation is an effective therapy for periorbital syringoma and should be considered when treating this difficult condition. To our knowledge, this is the first study utilizing electrocoagulation for removal of syringomas.     

Quercetin Attenuates Benzo(α)pyrene-induced CYP1A Expression

<正>We studied effects of nutrient quercetin on cytochromes’Р450 1А(CYP1A)activities(measured spectrofluorimetrically using 7-ethoxy-resorufin for CYP1A1 and 7-methoxy-resorufin for CYP1A2 as substrates),on mR NA levels(measured by RT-PCR),and on DNA-binding activities(evaluated by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay)of proteins regulating CYP1A expression in untreated and benzo(α)pyrene(Ba P)-treated rats.Wistar rats     

On the optimal control for fractional multi‐strain TB model

In this paper, optimal control of a general nonlinear multi‐strain tuberculosis (TB) model that incorporates three strains drug‐sensitive, emerging multi‐drug resistant and extensively drug‐resistant is presented. The general multi‐strain TB model is introduced as a fractional order multi‐strain TB model. The fractional derivatives are described in the Caputo sense. An optimal control problem is formulated and studied theoretically using the Pontryagin maximum principle. Four controls variables are proposed to minimize the cost of interventions. Two simple‐numerical methods are used to study the nonlinear fractional optimal control problem. The methods are the iterative optimal control method and the generalized Euler method. Comparative studies are implemented, and it is found that the iterative optimal control method is better than the generalized Euler method. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of fish oil on bone resorption following pulp exposure in rats

Abstract  – The aim of this study was to determine whether treatment with fish oil may alter the periapical bone resorption following pulp exposure in rats. Untreated and pulp-exposed animals served as the negative and positive control, respectively. Other pulp-exposed animals were orally treated with fish oil at different concentrations and frequencies. Periapical tissue sections were stained with tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and then the numbers of both periapical osteoclasts and preosteoclasts were determined. The levels of bone resorption were assessed using the osteoclast–bone interface (OBI) index. The results showed that no differences between the numbers of both osteoclasts and preosteoclasts in the fish oil-treated animals and the negative control at day 14 could be found. Similarly, the periapical bone resorption in the animals treated with fish oil for 14 days significantly reduced to the levels of that in the negative control. The results of the present study, therefore, suggest that oral treatment with fish oil may inhibit bone resorption following pulp exposure in rats and hence, may have a therapeutic modality for inflamed periradicular tissue.     

下颌骨体部缺损假体的设计及生物力学评价

目的:研究根据下颌骨受力状态设计下颌骨假体的可行性。方法:在RE、CAD软件中根据健康人下颌骨CT数据构建了下颌骨几何模型、模拟了体部3～7缺损状态,同时在天然下颌骨模型基础上构建了外形与下颌骨完全一致的体部缺损个性化假体并镂孔,在孔中模拟植入松质骨颗粒用以研究松质骨颗粒能否促进天然骨与假体的整合。将模型导入有限元软件ANSYS8.0后定义边界条件并进行力学计算,以综合研究假体和植入假体中的松质骨在人体复杂应力状态下的力学行为。结果:有限元分析结果显示:在下颌骨与假体上分别出现了两条应力轨迹线,与天然下颌骨上的应力分布规律相吻合,说明假体的植入没有改变天然下颌骨的应力分布状态,按下颌骨受力设计假体的思路符合下颌骨受力状态,设计思路可行;同时植入假体孔中的松质骨颗粒上受到的应力值也达到了促进骨细胞生长的应力阈值,说明在假体上镂孔并植入松质骨可以增加假体与骨的生物相容性。结论:根据下颌骨受力设计假体的方法是可行的,其中填充的松质骨可以加速骨与假体的整合。     

Whole proteome analysis of post-translational modifications: applications of mass-spectrometry for proteogenomic annotation

While bacterial genome annotations have significantly improved in recent years, techniques for bacterial proteome annotation (including post-translational chemical modifications, signal peptides, proteolytic events, etc.) are still in their infancy. At the same time, the number of sequenced bacterial genomes is rising sharply, far outpacing our ability to validate the predicted genes, let alone annotate bacterial proteomes. In this study, we use tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to annotate the proteome of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, an important microbe for bioremediation. In particular, we provide the first comprehensive map of post-translational modifications in a bacterial genome, including a large number of chemical modifications, signal peptide cleavages, and cleavages of N-terminal methionine residues. We also detect multiple genes that were missed or assigned incorrect start positions by gene prediction programs, and suggest corrections to improve the gene annotation. This study demonstrates that complementing every genome sequencing project by an MS/MS project would significantly improve both genome and proteome annotations for a reasonable cost.     

Surgical options for recalcitrant carpal tunnel syndrome with perineural fibrosis

Surgical release of the transverse carpal ligament for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is, in general, a very successful procedure. Some patients, however, fail this standard release and have persistent or recurrent symptoms. Such recalcitrance may relate to incomplete release but more often relates to perineural or intraneural fibrosis of the median nerve. While there is no good treatment for intraneural fibrosis, numerous procedures have evolved in an attempt to treat perineural fibrosis which restricts nerve gliding. These include procedures to isolate the nerve from scar as well as procedures to bring neovascularization to the median nerve. This review describes the various surgical treatment options for recalcitrant CTS as well as their reported outcomes.     

Familial hypomagnesemia maps to chromosome 9q, not to the X chromosome: genetic linkage mapping and analysis of a balanced translocation breakpoint

Familial hypomagnesemia with secondary hypocalcemia (HSH) (MIM 307600) was studied in three inbred Bedouin kindreds from Israel. The three kindreds, one extended and two nuclear families, contained 13 affected individuals, 11 males and two females. Assuming that the individuals affected with hypomagnesemia shared a chromosomal region inherited from a common ancestor, we used a DNA pooling strategy in a genome-wide search for loci which show homozygosity for shared alleles in affected individuals. DNA samples from affected individuals within a single kindred were pooled and used as the template for PCR amplification of short tandem repeat polymorphic markers (STRPs). Pooled DNA from unaffected siblings and parents were used as controls. A shift towards homozygosity was observed in the affected DNA pool compared with the control pools with D9S301 (GATA7D12). Genotyping of individual DNA samples with D9S301 and several flanking markers confirmed linkage to chromosome 9 with maximum LOD scores of 3.4 (theta = 0.05), 3.7 (theta = 0) and 2.3 (theta = 0) for the three families. We have identified a 14 cM interval on chromosome 9 (9q12-9q22.2), flanked by proximal marker D9S1874 and distal marker D9S1807, within which all affected individuals from the three kindreds are homozygous for a shared haplotype. The disease segregates with a common affected haplotype in the three families, suggesting that hypomagnesemia is caused by a common ancestral mutation in these families. Although HSH has been previously reported to be X linked, these linkage data demonstrate that the disorder is an autosomal recessive disease in these kindreds. Mapping of a chromosomal breakpoint in a somatic cell line established from a patient with HSH and a balanced X;9 translocation placed the chromosomal breakpoint in a 500 kb region flanked by D9S1844 and D9S273. Identification of the gene responsible for hypomagnesemia will provide insight into the regulation of this essential cation.