Musculoskeletal involvement in sarcoidosis,

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disorder of unknown cause. It most commonly affects the pulmonary system but can also affect the musculoskeletal system, albeit less frequently. In patients with sarcoidosis, rheumatic involvement is polymorphic. It can be the presenting symptom of the disease or can appear during its progression. Articular involvement is dominated by nonspecific arthralgia, polyarthritis, and Löfgren''s syndrome, which is defined as the presence of lung adenopathy, arthralgia (or arthritis), and erythema nodosum. Skeletal manifestations, especially dactylitis, appear mainly as complications of chronic, multiorgan sarcoidosis. Muscle involvement in sarcoidosis is rare and usually asymptomatic. The diagnosis of rheumatic sarcoidosis is based on X-ray findings and magnetic resonance imaging findings, although the definitive diagnosis is made by anatomopathological study of biopsy samples. Musculoskeletal involvement in sarcoidosis is generally relieved with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids. In corticosteroid-resistant or -dependent forms of the disease, immunosuppressive therapy, such as treatment with methotrexate or anti-TNF-α, is employed. The aim of this review was to present an overview of the various types of osteoarticular and muscle involvement in sarcoidosis, focusing on their diagnosis and management.     

Effect of poplar-type propolis on oxidative stability and rheological properties of O/W emulsions

Propolis is known to possess antioxidant activity. However, there is no information on this activity in emulsions O/W. The protective effect of propolis on the oxidation and rheological properties of emulsions O/W containing wheat germ and almond oils was evaluated. Emulsions O/W were prepared with different concentration of propolis extract, almond oil and wheat germ oil. All emulsions physically stable without phase separation were stored at 37?°C for 9?weeks. Chemical composition of propolis was established by Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Rheological characterization of different emulsions was performed evaluating consistency index and flow behavior index. The oxidation was monitored by measuring the lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) methods. Flavonoids, phenolic acid esters, and aromatic acids were the main groups of compounds found in propolis. The results showed that popolis was good antioxidant in the concentration of 0.02 and 0.04% when lipid phase was constituted by almond oil. The rheological behavior is typical of a non-Newtonian fluid, being almond oil more adequate for having a higher stable O/W emulsion.     

Fibroélastome papillaire de la valve mitrale révélé par un accident vasculaire cérébral ischémique: À propos d’un cas opéré

Papillary fibroelastoma is a benign primitive cardiac tumour, which can be associated with serious embolic complications. We report on a 37-year-old woman admitted for a cerebrovascular accident. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a small and pedunculated mass attached to the anterior mitral leaflet. Because of the severity of its symptoms and its high embolic potential, the tumour was surgically excised and histologically diagnosed as a papillary fibroelastoma. The postoperative period was uneventful and the patient was discharged at the third day. Papillary fibroelastoma must be surgically treated because of its high embolic potential and its severe prognosis.     

Short- and long-term therapeutic effects of thermal mineral waters in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

The objective of the study was to evaluate short- and long-term therapeutic effectiveness of natural thermal mineral waters in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing efficacy of thermal mineral water for treating patients with knee OA. Trials were identified by systematic searches of PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials, and Amed. We used the MeSH terms balneotherapy, balneology, and mineral water in combination with knee and osteoarthritis. Literature screening and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Nine RCTs satisfied the inclusion criteria, all published as full journal articles. Trial duration ranged from 10 to 24 weeks (median 15.33 ± 5.56 weeks). The final sample included 493 patients who provided data at the ends of the studies. All interventions that were used in these trials found out an improvement in pain and functional capacity, which were sustained until week 24. No serious adverse events were reported to be associated with thermal mineral waters treatment. This work provide the most current and comprehensive review of the existing evidence of short- and long-term therapeutic effects of thermal mineral waters in knee OA. Additional RCTs with similar intervention comparisons and outcome measures, bigger sample size, and longer follow-up are required to confirm these results and to assess the biological effect of thermal mineral waters in patients with knee OA.     

Enhanced retinoid-induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells by PKC inhibitors involves activation of ERK

Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives, which cause growth inhibition, differentiation and/or apoptosis in various cell types, including some breast cancer cells. In general, estrogen receptor (ER)-positive cells are retinoic acid (RA) sensitive, whereas ER-negative cells are resistant. In this report, we show that ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells are strongly growth inhibited by retinoids in combination with a PKC inhibitor. While neither RA nor GF109203X (GF) has a significant growth inhibitory effect in these cells, RA+GF potently suppress proliferation. We found that RA+GF induce apoptosis, as shown by an increase in fragmented DNA, Annexin-V-positive cells and caspase-3 activation. Apoptosis was also induced by GF in combination with two synthetic retinoids. Expression of phosphorylated as well as total PKC was decreased by GF and this was potentiated by RA. In addition, treatment with GF caused a strong and sustained activation of ERK1/2 and p38-MAPK, as well as a weaker activation of JNK. Importantly, inhibition of ERK but not p38 or JNK suppressed apoptosis induced by RA+GF, indicating that activation of ERK is specifically required. In support of this novel finding, the ability of other PKC inhibitors to cause apoptosis in combination with RA correlates with ability to cause sustained activation of ERK.     

Synthesis of ZnO sol–gel thin-films CMOS-Compatible

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a II–VI group semiconductor with a wide direct bandgap and is an important material for various fields of industry and high-technological applications. The effects of thickness, annealing process in N₂ and air, optical properties, and morphology of ZnO thin-films are studied. A low-cost sol–gel spin-coating technique is used in this study for the simple synthesis of eco-friendly ZnO multilayer films deposited on (100)-oriented silicon substrates ranging from 150 to 600 nm by adjusting the spin coating rate. The ZnO sol–gel thin-films using precursor solutions of molarity 0.75 M exhibit an average optical transparency above 98%, with an optical band gap energy of 3.42 eV. The c-axis (002) orientation of the ZnO thin-films annealed at 400 °C were mainly influenced by the thickness of the multilayer, which is of interest for piezoelectric applications. These results demonstrate that a low-temperature method can be used to produce an eco-friendly, cost-effective ZnO sol–gel that is compatible with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) and integrated-circuits (IC).

A low-cost sol–gel spin-coating technique is used in this study for the simple synthesis of eco-friendly ZnO multilayer films deposited on (100)-oriented silicon substrates ranging from 150 to 600 nm by adjusting the spin coating rate.