Normal synthesis and expression of endothelial IIb/IIIa in Glanzmann's thrombasthenia

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is a bleeding disorder, inherited in an autosomal recessive way and characterized by an absence or deficiency of the platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa complex. Recently, we and others demonstrated that cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells synthesized a membrane protein complex similar to the platelet GP IIb/IIIa complex. In this article, we demonstrate that endothelial cells isolated from the umbilical vein of a newborn with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia, as compared with normal endothelial cells, show no difference in their ability to synthesize and express this GP IIb/IIIa complex. Our results indicate that Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is not accompanied by an "endotheliopathy."     

Capacitive performance of vertically aligned reduced titania nanotubes coated with Mn2O3 by reverse pulse electrodeposition

In this study, a composite material, manganese oxide/reduced titania nanotubes (Mn₂O₃/R-TNTs), was synthesized through incorporation of Mn₂O₃ onto R-TNTs via the reverse pulse electrodeposition technique. The influence of pulse reverse duty cycles on the morphological, structural and electrochemical performance of the surface was studied by varying the applied duty cycle from 10% to 90% for 5 min total on-time at an alternate potential of −0.90 V (E_on) and 0.00 V (E_off). FESEM analysis revealed the uniform deposition of Mn₂O₃ on the circumference of the nanotubes. The amount of Mn₂O₃ loaded onto the R-TNTs increased as a higher duty cycle was applied. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge tests were employed to elucidate the electrochemical properties of all the synthesized samples in 1 M KCl. The specific capacitance per unit area was greatly enhanced upon the incorporation of Mn₂O₃ onto R-TNTs, but showed a decrease as a high duty cycle was applied. This proved that low amounts of Mn₂O₃ loading enhanced the facilitation of the active ions for charge storage purposes. The optimized sample, Mn₂O₃/R-TNTs synthesized at 10% duty cycle, exhibited high specific capacitance of 18.32 mF cm⁻² at a current density of 0.1 mA cm⁻² obtained from constant current charge–discharge measurements. This revealed that the specific capacitance possessed by Mn₂O₃/R-TNTs synthesized at 10% duty cycle was 6 times higher than bare R-TNTs.

Mn₂O₃ was coated onto reduced titania nanotubes by reverse pulse electrodeposition, showing smooth and homogenous deposits without covering the opening of the nanotubes.     

Development of hydrophobic reduced graphene oxide as a new efficient approach for photochemotherapy

Nowadays, chemotherapy is one of the crucial and common therapies in the world. So far, it has been revealed to be highly promising, yet patients suffer from the consequences of severe negative medical dosages. In order to overcome these issues, the enhancement of photothermal chemotherapy with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a photothermal agent (PTA) is widely utilised in current medical technologies. This is due to its high near-infrared region (NIR) response, in vitro or in vivo organism biocompatibility, low risk of side effects, and effective positive results. Moreover, rGO not only has the ability to ensure that selective cancer cells have a higher mortality rate but can also improve the growth rate of recovering tissues that are untouched by necrosis and apoptosis. These two pathways are specific diverse modalities of cell death that are distinguished by cell membrane disruption and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) disintegration of the membrane via phosphatidylserine exposure in the absence of cell membrane damage. Therefore, this review aimed to demonstrate the recent achievements in the modification of rGO nanoparticles as a PTA as well as present a new approach for performing photochemotherapy in the clinical setting.

rGO of QD-rGO nanocomposite could absorb and convert into heat when harvested under NIR radiation, resulting cell death with reduction of fluorescence.     

Site‐Dependent Reference Point Microindentation Complements Clinical Measures for Improved Fracture Risk Assessment at the Human Femoral Neck

In contrast to traditional approaches to fracture risk assessment using clinical risk factors and bone mineral density (BMD), a new technique, reference point microindentation (RPI), permits direct assessment of bone quality; in vivo tibial RPI measurements appear to discriminate patients with a fragility fracture from controls. However, it is unclear how this relates to the site of the most clinically devastating fracture, the femoral neck, and whether RPI provides information complementary to that from existing assessments. Femoral neck samples were collected at surgery after low‐trauma hip fracture (n = 46; 17 male; aged 83 [interquartile range 77–87] years) and compared, using RPI (Biodent Hfc), with 16 cadaveric control samples, free from bone disease (7 male; aged 65 [IQR 61–74] years). A subset of fracture patients returned for dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessment (Hologic Discovery) and, for the controls, a micro‐computed tomography setup (HMX, Nikon) was used to replicate DXA scans. The indentation depth was greater in femoral neck samples from osteoporotic fracture patients than controls (p < 0.001), which persisted with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and height (p < 0.001) but was site‐dependent, being less pronounced in the inferomedial region. RPI demonstrated good discrimination between fracture and controls using receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) analyses (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.79 to 0.89), and a model combining RPI to clinical risk factors or BMD performed better than the individual components (AUC = 0.88 to 0.99). In conclusion, RPI at the femoral neck discriminated fracture cases from controls independent of BMD and traditional risk factors but dependent on location. The clinical RPI device may, therefore, supplement risk assessment and requires testing in prospective cohorts and comparison between the clinically accessible tibia and the femoral neck. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.     

Chondrosarcoma of the mandible: a case report

Chondrosarcomas are malignant tumours of cartilaginous origin. They range from a well-differentiated growth resembling a benign cartilage tumour to a high-grade malignancy with aggressive local behaviour and the potential to metastasize. Only 5% to 10% of chondrosarcomas are known to occur in the head and neck region. A case of chondrosarcoma of the anterior region of the mandible is presented, along with a review of the relevant literature.     

Assessment of 3-D nasal airway morphology in Southeast Asian adults with obstructive sleep apnea using acoustic rhinometry

The aim of the present study is to investigate nasal airway morphology in Asian adults with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using acoustic rhinometry (AR), principal components analysis (PCA), and 3-D finite-element analysis (FEA). One hundred eight adult Malays aged 18–65 years (mean ± SD, 33.2 ± 13.31) underwent clinical examination and limited channel polysomnography, providing 54 patients with OSA and 54 non-OSA controls. The mean minimal cross section area 1 (MCA1) and the mean minimal cross sectional area 2 (MCA2) were obtained from AR for all subjects and subjected to t tests. The OSA and control nasal airways were reconstructed in 3-D and subjected to PCA and FEA. The mean MCA1 and MCA2 using AR were found to be significantly smaller in the OSA group than in the control group (p < 0.001). Comparing the 3-D OSA and control nasal airways using PCA, the first two eigenvalues accounted for 94% of the total shape change, and statistical differences were found (p < 0.05). Similarly, comparing the nasal airways using FEA, the 3-D mean OSA nasal airway was significantly narrower in the OSA group compared to the control group. Specifically, decreases in size of approx. 10–22% were found in the nasal valve/head of inferior turbinate area. In conclusion, differences in nasal airway morphology are present when comparing patients with OSA to controls. These differences need to be recognized as they can improve our understanding of the etiological basis of obstructive sleep apnea and facilitate its subsequent management.     

Underlay myringoplasty: comparison of human amniotic membrane to temporalis fascia graft

Human amniotic membrane as a homograft material was compared to temporalis fascia to close tympanic membrane perforations in 50 patients with chronic otitis media. Human amniotic membrane was used in 20 patients while temporalis fascia was used in the remaining 30. Anatomical closure of the perforation and reduction of the air-bone gap was measured. The graft uptake showed a 65% success rate for the amniotic membrane and 56.7% for the temporalis fascia at 3 months post-operatively. Significant closure of air-bone gap was observed in the human amniotic group. These results indicate comparable outcomes between human amniotic membrane and the temporalis fascia graft.     

Fibrinopeptide A and the phosphate content of fibrinogen in venous thromboembolism and disseminated intravascular coagulation

Concentrations of plasma fibrinopeptide A (FPA) were measured by radioimmunoassay in 50 patients with venous thromboembolism or disseminated intravascular coagulation or both. A consistent discrepancy was observed in values obtained with two anti-FPA antisera. Analysis of extracts from plasma of these patients by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed the presence of a phosphorylated and an unphosphorylated form of the A peptide. Differences in concentrations of FPA measured with the two antisera could be accounted for by their different reactivity with phosphorylated FPA (FPA-P). The differences were abolished by treatment with alkaline phosphatase. A good correlation was observed between the FPA-P content of free A- peptide material and of fibrinogen in plasma as determined by HPLC (r = .88, P less than .001, n = 11). In patients with elevated FPA levels, the mean FPA-P content of fibrinogen was significantly higher (P less than .002, n = 13) than in patients with normal FPA levels (n = 8) and in healthy controls (n = 14). Phosphorus in fibrinogen did not correlate with fibrinogen degradation products or fibrinogen levels and became normal on adequate anticoagulation. Therefore, blood-clotting activation may lead to a high phosphate content of fibrinogen and of free FPA in plasma.     

Negative predictive value of a vision screening program aimed at children aged 3 to 4 years old

PURPOSE: Nova Scotia has a vision screening program which assesses children aged 4[1\2] to 5[1\2] years. However, its use in younger children proved impossible. This study will examine a modified screening protocol for the younger children (3 to 4 years old) and determine its negative predictive value and minimum age for reliable application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Public health nurses administered the study protocol to 3- to 4-year-old children. One hundred seventy-eight children were screened over two summers. Medical and family history, external inspection, as well as measures of visual acuity with the Lea Hyvarinen symbols chart and stereoacuity with Frisby plates were recorded. Results were compared with a gold standard examination that included full orthoptic and ophthalmologic evaluations. One hundred forty-one (79%) children underwent the gold standard examination. Agreement between screening and gold standard examinations was studied. RESULTS: Data showed increased concordance between screening and gold standard examination results with increasing age up to 41 months. Negative predictive value (NPV) and specificity also improved when data were separated by this age. In children <41 months old, the screening test NPV was 90%, specificity, 68%, and sensitivity, 75%. In comparison, children >/=41 months old had screening test NPV of 96%, specificity, 95%, and sensitivity, 50%. Specificity was higher in the older age group ( P < 0.001). Sensitivity was lower ( P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: This study's vision screening protocol appears better suited for children 41 months and older. They had better pass/fail reproducibility than children <41 months. The test's simplicity allows easy use by non-eye-care professionals. It could potentially lower the reliable screening age of children by 13 months, from 54 months of age (4[1\2] years old) to 41 months. This screening may miss some refractive errors and microtropia/monofixation syndrome, despite normal visual acuity, stereoacuity, and external inspection.     

MDS clinical diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease

This document presents the Movement Disorder Society Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Parkinson's disease (PD). The Movement Disorder Society PD Criteria are intended for use in clinical research but also may be used to guide clinical diagnosis. The benchmark for these criteria is expert clinical diagnosis; the criteria aim to systematize the diagnostic process, to make it reproducible across centers and applicable by clinicians with less expertise in PD diagnosis. Although motor abnormalities remain central, increasing recognition has been given to nonmotor manifestations; these are incorporated into both the current criteria and particularly into separate criteria for prodromal PD. Similar to previous criteria, the Movement Disorder Society PD Criteria retain motor parkinsonism as the core feature of the disease, defined as bradykinesia plus rest tremor or rigidity. Explicit instructions for defining these cardinal features are included. After documentation of parkinsonism, determination of PD as the cause of parkinsonism relies on three categories of diagnostic features: absolute exclusion criteria (which rule out PD), red flags (which must be counterbalanced by additional supportive criteria to allow diagnosis of PD), and supportive criteria (positive features that increase confidence of the PD diagnosis). Two levels of certainty are delineated: clinically established PD (maximizing specificity at the expense of reduced sensitivity) and probable PD (which balances sensitivity and specificity). The Movement Disorder Society criteria retain elements proven valuable in previous criteria and omit aspects that are no longer justified, thereby encapsulating diagnosis according to current knowledge. As understanding of PD expands, the Movement Disorder Society criteria will need continuous revision to accommodate these advances. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society