Combination Systemic Fluorouracil and Radiation for the Treatment of Recalcitrant Condyloma with Associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma in an Immunocompromised 15‐Year‐Old Girl

Condylomata acuminata (CA), or anogenital warts, are typically benign lesions caused by human papillomavirus infection. Although they are rare, immunocompromised individuals are at a higher risk of CA undergoing transformation into invasive anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). These patients need aggressive evaluation and management. Treatment of CA is challenging, particularly for immunocompromised hosts, in whom warts are resistant to treatment and commonly recur. Currently, there is no gold standard treatment for CA, especially in children and immunodeficient individuals. We report the case of a 15‐year‐old immunocompromised girl with severe recalcitrant condyloma that resolved after a course of systemic 5‐fluorouracil, mitomycin C, and radiation therapy for SCC.     

Acute Toxicity of Synthetic Pyrethroid Cypermethrin to Some Freshwater Organisms

Ninety-six hours static bioassays were made in the laboratory to determine acute toxicity of cypermethrin to five non-target freshwater organisms belonging to different taxa and niche. Susceptibility of the organisms to cypermethrin was in the order: the crustacean Diaptomus forbesi > the aquatic insect Ranatra filiformis > the freshwater carp Cyprinus carpio > the tadpole larva of the toad Bufo melanostictus > the oligochaet worm Branchiura sowerbyi. Ninety-six hours LC50 values of aqueous cypermethrin ranged from 0.03 μg/L for the crustacean to 9.0 μg/L for the tadpole larva. The value was very high (71.12 μg/L) for the oligochaet worm. LC50 values changed with hours of exposure till 72 h after which cypermethrin became inactive in both aqueous and acetone solution. Acetone solution of cypermethrin was more toxic to B. sowerbyi, C. carpio and the tadpole larva. There was no significant difference in susceptibility of any other test organism between aqueous and acetone solution of cypermethrin.     

Heart rate variability response to alcohol, placebo, and emotional picture cue challenges: effects of 0.1-Hz stimulation

Heart rate variability (HRV) supports emotion regulation and is reduced by alcohol. Based on the resonance properties of the cardiovascular system, a new 0.1-Hz methodology was developed to present emotional stimuli and assess HRV reaction in participants ( N =36) randomly assigned to an alcohol, placebo, or control condition. Blocked picture cues (negative, positive, neutral) were presented at a rate of 5 s on, 5 s off (i.e., 0.1-Hz frequency). SDNN, pNN50, and HF HRV were reduced by alcohol, compared to the placebo and control. The 0.1-Hz HRV index was diminished by alcohol and placebo, suggesting that autonomic regulation can be affected by cognitive expectancy. The 0.1-Hz HRV index and pNN50 detected changes in arousal during emotional compared to neutral cues, and the 0.1-Hz HRV index was most sensitive to negative valence. The 0.1-Hz HRV methodology may be useful for studying the intersection of cognition, emotion, and autonomic regulation.     

The cyst wall of Entamoeba invadens contains chitosan (deacetylated chitin)

The cyst wall of Entamoeba invadens (Ei), a model for the human pathogen Entamoeba histolytica, contains chitin, which is a homopolymer of beta-1, 4-linked N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc). In fungi and in bacteria that make nodulation factors, chitin deacetylases make chitosan, which is a mixture of GlcNAc and glucosamine and so has a positive charge. The activity of an Ei chitin deacetylase was revealed by a 3-4-fold increase in released GlcNAc when deproteinated cyst walls were chemically acetylated prior to treatment with a commerical chitinase. Because this chitinase releases GlcNAc but not GlcN, increases in released GlcNAc after acetylation suggested the presence of chitosan in Ei cyst walls. Five putative Ei and Eh chitin deacetylase genes resembled those of fungi and bacteria. A predicted Eh chitin deacetylase matched closely the three-dimensional structure of a Bacillus subtilis peptiodglycan deacetylase. A recombinant Eh chitin deacetylase, expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, deacetylated chitooligosaccharides in vitro. These results are consistent with the idea that Ei chitin deacetylases modify chitin to produce chitosan in the Ei cyst wall.