Hepatic artery stenosis after liver transplant, managed with percutaneous angioplasty and stent placement.

Hepatic artery stenosis is a recognized vascular complication of orthotopic liver transplant that carries significant morbidity and mortality. The authors present a case of hepatic artery stenosis in a 50-year-old female successfully treated with balloon angioplasty and stent. This case report highlights the importance of percutaneous intervention as a preferred treatment option in patients with hepatic artery stenosis post-orthotopic liver transplant.     

Ultrastructural changes of ischemic injury due to coronary artery occlusion in the porcine heart

Using the ultrastructural criteria established by Schaper et al. 1979 [27] for distinguishing between different degrees of ischemic change in dog myocardium, slight ischemic changes are observed in the pig suboendocardium as early as 1 min after occlusion of the LAD artery. Moderate change throughout the thickness of the myocardium is seen after 6 to 12 min of ischemia and continues to be found up until 20 min after commencement of the ischemic period. 20 to 30 min ischemia produces severe ischemic damage and more than 30 min leads to irreversible damage. The changes are uniform at all stages of ischemia and there is no evidence of a transmural gradient of ultrastructural damage. Of particular interest in the early part of the ischemic period is the observation of ultrastructural changes in the subendocardial specialized conducting tissue. In these specialized cells, although morphological features consistent with slight and moderate ischemia are found as early as 1 to 2 min after occlusion, spontaneous recovery occurs and is complete by 15 min. This biphasic time course parallels the electro-physiological changes known to occur in ischemic Purkinje fibres.     

Surface-active phospholipid as the lubricating component of lubricin

To resolve the apparent conflict between a lubricating glycoprotein, 'lubricin', as the active ingredient in synovial fluid (SF) and surface- active phospholipid (SAPL) present in SF (and adsorbed to articular cartilage) as the boundary lubricant reducing friction to such low physiological levels, lubricin was isolated from bovine SF following the original procedure of Swann et al. (Arthritis Rheum 1981;24:22-30). Analysis of the lipid extract by thin-layer chromatography and phosphorus determination demonstrated a phospholipid component of 11.1 +/- 1.7% (N = 5) which corresponds very closely to the 9.2-13.0% of lubricin which had hitherto remained unidentified and which has previously been shown to be transferable to the articular surface to impart lubrication. These results would appear to resolve any theoretical conflict in that lubricin is, indeed, an active ingredient within SF. Yet, as a large water-soluble molecule, it really functions as a carrier for the highly insoluble SAPL which it deposits on the articular surface as the oligolamellar layer visualized in previous studies. However, it is this deposited SAPL, rather than lubricin, which actually lubricates.      

大学生饮酒模式调查分析

目的分析影响大学生饮酒模式的因素,针对饮酒教育及酒精政策提出建议。方法采用整群抽样方法,选择来自北京和郑州的530名大学生完成有效问卷调查。采用 Epidata 录入数据,SAS 12.0和 R 2.7.2进行数据描述和分析。结果74.5%的大学生在过去1年内饮过酒,啤酒是饮酒者的主要选择（85.9%）,餐馆和家里是饮酒比较频繁的场所,饮用酒多来自同学/朋友及家庭成员提供,25.3%饮酒者并无特别原因饮酒,各有约1/5的饮酒者是出于社交目的或喜欢饮酒的感觉。认为“饮酒有助于社交暠或“饮酒促进交流暠者、父母及同学/朋友饮酒者、来自农村地区或小城镇者及吸烟者更容易发生饮酒行为（均 P 〈0.05）,男生大学生、规律饮酒者更容易遭遇强迫劝酒场面、更易发生醉酒（均 P 〈0.05）。超过一半饮酒者出现酒后脸红、肌肉软弱无力等生理反应,饮酒对被调查大学生产生的社会心理影响依次是记忆丧失（23.9%）、宿醉（14.6%）、做了后悔的事（低于10%）等。结论目前大学生仍保持着一种低风险饮酒模式。大学生饮酒教育应提供关于饮酒利弊的科学信息,使其对饮酒保持一种现实的期望。应制定针对性酒精政策和教育鼓励和支持低风险且满足社交功能的饮酒模式,控制高风险饮酒模式。     

Pd nanoparticles on green support as dip-catalyst: a facile transfer hydrogenation of olefins and N-heteroarenes in water

Chemo- and regioselective hydrogenation methods using highly green sources, particularly from metal nanoparticles on plant stem as support and water, is an intensive research area, which is highly relevant to the development of green chemistry and technology in the 21^st century. Here, the synthesis and activity of a heterogeneous catalytic system (called “dip-catalyst”) for the transfer hydrogenation of a series of styrenyl, unfunctionalized olefins, quinoline and other N-heteroarenes, are presented. It consists of Pd nanoparticles (15–20 nm) anchored on bio-processed jute plant (Corchorus genus) stem as the support. Pd nanoparticles were decorated on the green support (GS) jute stem by the in situ reduction of K₂PdCl₄ in aqueous medium at 70 °C, using formic acid as the reductant. The Pd@GS was characterized using SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, XPS and TEM. Elemental mapping revealed uniform distribution of Pd on the cellulose matrix of the jute stem. The catalyst was successfully applied to the chemoselective transfer hydrogenation of numerous styrenyl, unfunctionalized olefins. Its high functional group tolerance was investigated during the olefins hydrogenation in water. Furthermore, Pd@GS was capable of quantitative hydrogenation to selectively produce 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (THQ) in water using stoichiometric amounts of tetrahydroxydiboron (THDB) at 60 °C with turn over frequency (TOF) 4938 h⁻¹. This system is stable in water and displays excellent recyclability; it could be used for 32 consecutive cycles, without losing its original crystallinity or requiring replenishment.

A dip catalyst consisting of Pd nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of thin slices of jute-stem was fabricated. Its versatility as a hydrogen transfer agent for styrenyl, cyclic and unfunctionalized olefins and N-heterocycles was investigated.     

Collaborative Biomedicine in the Age of Big Data: The Case of Cancer

Biomedicine is undergoing a revolution driven by high throughput and connective computing that is transforming medical research and practice. Using oncology as an example, the speed and capacity of genomic sequencing technologies is advancing the utility of individual genetic profiles for anticipating risk and targeting therapeutics. The goal is to enable an era of “P4” medicine that will become increasingly more predictive, personalized, preemptive, and participative over time. This vision hinges on leveraging potentially innovative and disruptive technologies in medicine to accelerate discovery and to reorient clinical practice for patient-centered care. Based on a panel discussion at the Medicine 2.0 conference in Boston with representatives from the National Cancer Institute, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Stanford University School of Medicine, this paper explores how emerging sociotechnical frameworks, informatics platforms, and health-related policy can be used to encourage data liquidity and innovation. This builds on the Institute of Medicine’s vision for a “rapid learning health care system” to enable an open source, population-based approach to cancer prevention and control.     

A Review of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Technique to Analyze the Stability and Degradation Mechanism of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathode Materials

Nondestructive characterization of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) materials has drawn attention owing to the advances in instrumentation that enable in situ characterization during high-temperature cell operation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is widely used to investigate the surface of SOFC cathode materials because of its excellent chemical specificity and surface sensitivity. The XPS can be used to analyze the elemental composition and oxidation state of cathode layers from the surface to a depth of approximately 5–10 nm. Any change in the chemical state of the SOFC cathode at the surface affects the migration of oxygen ions to the cathode/electrolyte interface via the cathode layer and causes performance degradation. The objective of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the adoption of XPS for the characterization of SOFC cathode materials to understand its degradation mechanism in absolute terms. The use of XPS to confirm the chemical stability at the interface and the enrichment of cations on the surface is reviewed. Finally, the strategies adopted to improve the structural stability and electrochemical performance of the LSCF cathode are also discussed.     

Analysis of 55 cases of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor in an Indian population and review of literature

Background This study reviews the demographic, clinical and radiographic features of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor(AOT) diagnosed in an Indian population over 50 years and also evaluate and compare follicular AOT(F-AOT) and extra-follicular AOT(EF-AOT).Material and Methods 55 diagnosed cases of AOT from 1971-2020 were studied retrospectively. The data regarding the age, sex, location, variant of AOT, duration, clinical features, radiographic appearance, treatment and recurrence were collected and analysed.Results Of the 722 odontogenic tumors diagnosed, 7.6% were AOTs with higher prevalence of extra-follicular (67.3%) than follicular (32.7%) variant. All the tumors were intraosseous with a marked predilection for maxilla over mandible, ratio 2:1. The patients mean age was 19.8 years with slightly higher female predilection (male:female ratio - 1:1.5). The anterior region (76.4%) was more frequently affected and entire quadrant was involved in 21.8% cases. Clinically, asymptomatic, slow-growing swelling was seen in 81.8% cases with duration of 15 days to 10 years. Radiographically, AOT appeared as well-corticated radiolucent lesion. Canine was the most commonly impacted tooth. Recurrence was seen in 3 cases.Conclusions Interestingly, in this series extra-follicular was twice more common than follicular AOT. Few cases involved the entire quadrant or crossed the midline of either jaws. Key words:Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT), follicular AOT, extrafollicular AOT, Indian population, odontogenic tumor.     

Gelatin- and Papaya-Based Biodegradable and Edible Packaging Films to Counter Plastic Waste Generation

Most of the food packaging materials used in the market are petroleum-based plastics; such materials are neither biodegradable nor environmentally friendly and require years to decompose. To overcome these problems, biodegradable and edible materials are encouraged to be used because such materials degrade quickly due to the actions of bacteria, fungi, and other environmental effects. In this work, commonly available household materials such as gelatin, soy protein, corn starch, and papaya were used to prepare cost-effective lab-scale biodegradable and edible packaging film as an effective alternative to commercial plastics to reduce waste generation. Prepared films were characterized in terms of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), optical transparency, and tensile strength. FTIR confirmed the addition of papaya and soy protein to the gelatin backbone. WVTR of the gelatin-papaya films was recorded to be less than 50 g/m²/day. This water vapor barrier was five times better than films of pristine gelatin. The gelatin, papaya, and soy protein films exhibited transparencies of around 70% in the visible region. The tensile strength of the film was 2.44 MPa, which improved by a factor of 1.5 for the films containing papaya and soy protein. The barrier qualities of the gelatin and gelatin-papaya films maintained the properties even after going through 2000 bending cycles. From the results, it is inferred that the prepared films are ideally suitable for food encapsulation and their production on a larger scale can considerably cut down the plastic wastage.