Day Treatment Research Articles

37-Year-Old Man With Headache and Nasal Congestion

37-Year-Old Man With Headache and Nasal Congestion

Molecular Cloning and Expression Responses of Jarid2b to High-Temperature Treatment in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Nile tilapia is a GSD + TE (Genetic Sex Determination + Temperature Effect) fish, and high-temperature treatment during critical thermosensitive periods (TSP) can induce the sex reversal of Nile tilapia genetic females, and brain transcriptomes have revealed the upregulation of Jarid2 (Jumonji and AT-rich domain containing 2) expression after 36 °C high-temperature treatment for 12 days during TSP. It was shown that JARID2 forms a complex with polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) that catalyzed H3K27me3, which was strongly associated with transcriptional repression. In this study, Jarid2b was cloned and characterized in Nile tilapia, which was highly conserved among the analyzed fish species. The expression of Jarid2b was upregulated in the gonad of 21 dpf XX genetic females after 12-day high-temperature treatment and reached a similar level to that of males. Similar responses to high-temperature treatment also appeared in the brain, heart, liver, muscle, eye, and skin tissues. Interestingly, Jarid2b expression was only in response to high-temperature treatment, and not to 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) or letrozole treatments; although, these treatments can also induce the sex reversal of genetic Nile tilapia females. Further studies revealed that Jarid2b responded rapidly at the 8th hour after high-temperature treatment. Considering that JARID2 can recruit PRC2 and establish H3K27me3, we speculated that it might be an upstream gene participating in the regulation of Nile tilapia GSD + TE through regulating the H3K27 methylation level at the locus of many sex differentiation-related genes.

Effect of supplemental methionine on health and performance of receiving beef heifers.

Methionine supplementation can improve immune function in transition dairy cattle. Our objective was to determine if supplemental methionine could improve health and performance of newly received growing cattle. Crossbred heifers (n = 384; 222 kg initial body weight; southeastern U.S. origin) were received in four truckloads (blocks) over 9 d. Heifers were weighed at arrival. The following day (d 0) cattle were vaccinated for viral and clostridial diseases, received 2.5 mg tulathromycin/kg body weight, and were stratified within the blocks by arrival body weight to 1 of 8 pens containing 12 heifers each. Within blocks, pens were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 0 (control) or 0.1725% Smartamine M to provide 0.1035% metabolizable methionine to the diet. Cattle were limit-fed at 2.2% of body weight daily (dry matter basis) on a diet containing 40% wet corn gluten feed, 34.5% dry-rolled corn, 10% corn silage, 7.5% supplement, 4% alfalfa hay, and 4% prairie hay. Pen weights were measured weekly to determine the feed offered the following week. Individual body weight and tail-vein blood samples were collected on d 0, 14, and 45. Plasma haptoglobin was measured to assess acute-phase protein response. Incidences of morbidity (1.6% for control, 2.6% for Smartamine M) and mortality (0.5% for both control and Smartamine M) were low. Between d 0 and 45, no differences were observed for average daily gain (1.24 vs. 1.27 kg/d; control vs. Smartamine M, P = 0.55) or gain:feed (0.107 vs. 0.110, P = 0.28), although dry matter intake was 1.3% greater (P < 0.01) for control than Smartamine M due to differences in diet dry matter concentration. An interaction between treatment and linear effect of day was detected for plasma haptoglobin (P < 0.05); over time, haptoglobin increased more for control (2.15, 2.28, and 2.95 mg/mL at 0, 14, and 45 d) than for Smartamine M (2.35, 2.37, and 2.58 mg/mL). Supplemental methionine may alleviate acute-phase protein responses in stressed receiving cattle.

Impact of spinal cord stimulation on sick leave and disability pension in patients with chronic neuropathic pain: a real-world evidence study in Sweden.

Current research indicates that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has a positive short-term impact on outcomes, such as quality of life, pain, and productivity in patients with chronic neuropathic pain. However, there is a need for studies on larger population samples. This study used data from Swedish national registers to analyze change and predictors of sick leave and disability pension 2 years before and after SCS treatment. Patients with SCS implanted between 2006 and 2017, and a reference group consisting of 5 individuals matched to each SCS patient without replacement with respect to age, sex, and region of residence, were included. A difference-in-difference approach was used to compare the average change (2 years after treatment vs 2 years before treatment) in net disability days and indirect cost related to disability days for the SCS group, compared with the average change for the reference group. The results showed that SCS treatment in Sweden is associated with a decrease of 21 disability days and consequent decrease in indirect cost of €4127 in working age patients. Large work loss prior to index date was also demonstrated (average 214 days before 1 year), indicating a significant burden on the patient, employers, and the society at large. The number of disability days varied considerably depending on age, sex, socioeconomic variables, and comorbidities; however, the effect of SCS seemed to have little association with patient characteristics. This economic benefit needs to be considered, as well as the clinical outcome, when evaluating the full societal value of SCS.

Study of a Rare Case of Hereditary Angioedema in Bangladesh

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disease that is characterised by recurrent episodes of angioedema in absence of urticaria or pruritus. It usually affects skin and the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tracts. It is usually a self-limited disease and resolves without treatment in a few days, although fatal asphyxiation may occur due to laryngeal involvement. The rarity, severity of the presentation and the need for appropriate treatment made a special interest to the clinicians for the disease. Early diagnosis can enable the attending physicians to administer an appropriate treatment to rescue the life of the patient. Our case is a 21-year medical student presented with several occasions of attack of angioedema involving lips, eyelids, and face since her 12 years of age. Lack of appropriate diagnostic facilities made the diagnosis of her disease delayed.

Differential outcome of females with uterine versus extra-uterine leiomyosarcomas, a retrospective analysis.

e23557 Background: Leiomyosarcomas, are aggressive sarcomas with survival rates among the lowest of all soft tissue sarcomas. Patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) have worse overall survival (OS) than those with extra-uterine leiomyosarcoma (EULMS). The effect of several clinical factors on OS have been investigated, including age, tumor size, grade, stage, and use of chemotherapy. Looking at the epigenetics of the 2 diseases, differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were statistically significant between the 2 groups. Methods: The 2004-2016 National Cancer Database was queried for females with ULMS and EULMS. We investigated several factors as predictors of binary survival status (alive or dead): patient’s age, race, year at diagnosis, tumor grade, size and stage, receipt of surgical treatment, chemotherapy, palliative care, surgical margins and time to treatment in days. Univariate and backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine prognostic factors associated with survival in each group. Kaplan-Meier (KM) method with log-rank test was used to compare OS rates between the 2 groups. All analyses were conducted using Stata/SE 15.1. Results: The total number of subjects was 16883. The median OS was 36.7 months in ULMS vs 57.2 in EULMS (P &lt; 0.001). Older age was associated with a lower likelihood of survival in both groups (OR = 0.95, P = 0.018 in ULMS; OR = 0.97, P &lt; 0.001 in EULMS). Lymphovascular invasion and receipt of palliative care were associated with a relatively large decrease in survival in ULMS only (OR = 0.25, P &lt; 0.001; OR = 0.13, P = 0.015 respectively). In the EULMS group, increased likelihood of survival was associated with later years of diagnosis (OR = 1.27; P &lt; 0.001). Larger tumor size (OR = 0.39; P = 0.001), stages II-IV or unstageable disease (OR = 0.56; P &lt; 0.001), positive surgical margins or margins that were unevaluable (OR = 0.87; P = 0.009) and receipt of systemic therapy (OR = 0.85; P = 0.016) were associated with a lower likelihood of survival. Conclusions: Our study reiterated that females with ULMS had worse OS than those with EULMS. this difference can be attributed to certain clinical risk factors, however, it may also be secondary to genetic and epigenetic factors. Surprisingly, the use of palliative care in this study was associated with poorer OS in the EULMS group. Further studies are needed to investigate the genetic map of these diseases and highlight certain potentially targetable prognostic and predictive factors. Study limitations: Our study did not stratify ULMS and EULMS according to the stage to examine if the aforementioned factors would still be relevant in the limited versus metastatic setting.

A retrospective analysis of gender disparities in clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with non-uterine leiomyosarcoma.

e23547 Background: The effect of gender in sarcoma patients in various organ systems has been the subject of several studies, many of which show no overall survival (OS) difference between male and female genders. Tumor size and grade have been noted to be independent predictors of local recurrence and disease specific survival in a prospective study of patients with non-uterine leiomyosarcoma by Gaddy et. al. however, gender had no effect on OS. Methods: The 2004-2016 National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for males with leiomyosarcoma (LMS) and females with extrauterine leiomyosarcoma (EULMS) using topographical codes C490-C496, and C498-C499. Data included: patient’s age, race, year at diagnosis, tumor grade, size and stage, lymph node involvement, receipt of surgical treatment, chemotherapy or palliative care treatment, surgical margins, time to treatment in days, OS (months between the date of diagnosis and date of death or censored at last contact), and long-term survival defined as survival for 60 months or more. Univariate analysis was used to determine significant predictors of binary survival status (i.e. alive or dead), significant factors were then included in a multivariate analysis. Using Stata/SE 15.1, Kaplan-Meier (KM) method with log-rank test was used to compare and estimate OS rates between the 2 groups. Results: The total number of patients was 13537, with 6311 males (46.6%) and 7226 females (53.4%). The OS in females was 57.2 months compared to 72.0 months in males (P &lt; 0.001). Men were also more likely to achieve long-term survival (36.1%) compared to females (34.4%, P &lt; 0.001). Men with LMS had a lower percentage of chemotherapy use compared to females (18.7% vs 25% respectively, P &lt; 0.001) and palliative care use (3.0% vs 3.5%; P = 0.013). Lower likelihood of survival among both groups was noted in older age (OR = 0.96; P &lt; 0.001 in males; OR = 0.97, P &lt; 0.001 in females), tumor stage &gt; I (OR = 0.64, P = 0.005 in males; OR = 0.56, P &lt; 0.001 in females) and positive surgical margins (OR = 0.76, P = 0.013 in males; OR = 0.87, P = 0.009 in females). Contrarily, increasing year of diagnosis was associated with an increased likelihood of survival (OR = 1.51, P &lt; 0.001 in males; OR = 1.27, P &lt; 0.001 in females). Larger tumor size was also associated with decreased likelihood of survival, but only in the female group (OR = 0.39, P = 0.001). Conclusions: Our analysis shows that males with LMS had a higher OS and higher percentage of long-term survival compared to females. The only factor affecting survival that was different between the 2 groups was the tumor size, which was associated with significantly decreased likelihood of survival in females. No clear explanation for this different survival could be extrapolated from the clinical data collected. Further studies are recommended to investigate the genetic, epigenetic, and possibly hormonal factors that may affect survival in LMS.

Effects of prenatal opioid exposure and early life adversity on opioid‐induced antinociception

Diagnoses of maternal opioid use disorder (MOUD) at delivery increased more than 500% between 1999 and 2017 in the United States. Today, cases of in utero opioid exposure due to MOUD exceed cases of the most common birth defects, including cleft lip, cleft palate, clubfoot, and Down syndrome, combined. Children exposed to opioids in utero are at increased risk of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) due to parental care being compromised by SUDs. These ACEs include abuse, neglect, loss of a parent from death or incarceration, parental divorce, and household domestic violence. Altered sensitivity to opioid analgesia later in life is one potential outcome shared by in utero opioid exposure and ACEs that may contribute to poorly controlled pain and increased risk of opioid addiction. Studies using rat models of prenatal opioid exposure (POE) or early life adversity (ELA) have shown that each decreases opioid‐induced antinociception long after exposure has ceased. However, the contributions of POE and ELA, alone and in combination, to opioid analgesic response in humans remains unknown. In this study, we used a rodent model of combined POE and ELA to disambiguate their long‐term effects more quickly and with greater experimental control than human studies. We hypothesized that combined POE and ELA will decrease morphine‐induced antinociception in adolescence relative to POE or ELA alone. We used a two‐by‐two between‐subjects factorial design in which timed‐pregnant Long‐Evans rats were exposed to morphine (15 mg/kg/day; “POE” group) or saline (“vehicle” group) via subcutaneous osmotic minipump from gestation day 9 until delivery. Litters were fostered to untreated dams then randomly assigned to normal housing or ELA conditions using a limited bedding and nesting procedure from postnatal days 3‐11. Morphine‐induced antinociception was measured between postnatal days 30 and 54 using a warm‐water tail withdrawal (WWTW) assay. Cumulative dose‐response of morphine‐induced antinociception was determined on test day 0 (1.0‐30 mg/kg morphine, s.c.) and test day 13 (3.0‐100 mg/kg, s.c.). On test days 1‐12, rats were dosed with 18 mg/kg, s.c., every 12 hours, and WWTW was conducted on odd test days. Interesting, preliminary results of this ongoing study indicate that morphine‐induced antinociception was enhanced on test day 0 in POE + normal‐housed males (n = 2). These rats exhibited 100% maximum possible effect (MPE) and significantly higher potency (mean ED50=5.96 mg/kg; 95% CI = ‐12.12, 24.05), while mean MPE for the other groups (n=2‐3) was less than 70% and mean ED50&gt;17 mg/kg. Males exhibited partial tolerance throughout the 12‐day chronic morphine treatment period. In the POE + normal‐housed males, MPE decreased from 100% on test day 1 to 58% on test day 11. For the remaining groups, MPE decreased from 44‐57% on test day 1 to 12‐23% on test day 11. Morphine was more potent in the POE + normal‐housed males on test day 13 (mean ED50=66.21 mg/kg; 95% CI = ‐281.6, 414) than in other males (mean ED50&gt;104.4 mg/kg). No clear group effect was observed in females. These unexpected results suggest a complex sex‐dependent interaction between POE and ELA on opioid antinociception.

The first experience of radical corrections of total anomalous pulmonary vein return by "sutureless technique" in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Total anomalous pulmonary vein return is a critical heart defect with 4 anatomic forms. It belongs to the severe category of complexity of the STAD scale with an incidence of about 0.013% among all newborns, most of them requiring urgent surgical treatment in the first days and hours of life. Currently, there are many surgical techniques for its correction. This paper presents a comparative evaluation of two groups of patients with previously classical and

Storage Stability of Nutritional Qualities, Enzyme Activities, and Volatile Compounds of "Hangjiao No. 2" Chili Pepper Treated With Different Concentrations of 1-Methyl Cyclopropene.

This study aimed to determine the effects of different concentrations of 1-methyl cyclopropene (1-MCP) on the nutritional quality, antioxidant enzyme activities, and volatile compounds of “Hangjiao No.2” chili pepper during 12 days of storage at ambient temperature. The chili fruit were randomly selected and divided into four groups corresponding to the four treatments, thus, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 μl L–1 1-MCP and a control. The analysis of the nutritional value, enzyme activities, and volatile compounds were determined at 3 days interval. The results showed that the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was lower in the fruit treated with 1-MCP compared to the control. The treatment with 1.5 μl L–1 and the control showed the lowest superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity compared to the other treatments. Peroxidase (POD) and Catalase (CAT) were highest in the fruit treated with 0.5 μl L–1 compared to the control and treatment with 1.0 μl L–1. The 1.5 μl L–1 treatment delayed the decline in vitamin C and protein content compared to the control. Nitrate levels increased 1.34-fold at 0.5 μl L–1 and 2.01-fold in the control. Chlorophyll content degradation was delayed at 1.0 μl L–1 compared to the control. A total of 88 volatile compounds, including terpenes, aldehydes, alkanes, esters, alcohols, acids, phenolic derivatives, ketones, and other aromatic compounds, were detected in “Hangjiao No.2” pepper during the 12-day storage period and treatment concentrations. The production of volatile terpenes was higher in the control than in the 1-MCP treatments, while the 0.5 μl L–1 1-MCP treatment generally suppressed the production of volatile compounds during storage. Overall, the production of volatile compounds after treatment was higher in the “Hangjiao No.2” chili fruit treated with 1.0 μl L–1 1-MCP than in the other treatments throughout the storage period. The results indicate that 1-MCP treatment was more effective in maintaining fruit quality, enhancing the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT, retarding the accumulation of MDA and restoring volatile aromas, with 1.0 μl L–1 having the best preservative effect on “Hangjiao No.2” chili fruit during storage, which could be useful for future marketing and processing.

Effectiveness of chemotherapy of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis using bedaquiline

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of MDR/XDR TB treatment with bedaquiline. Methods. The author analyzed the treatment results of 56 patients in Staint Petersburg in 2017 with MDR/XDR TB whose treatment regimen included bedaquiline. All patients were smear/ culture-positive: 43 (67.8%) cases with XDR MBT; 7 (12.5%) with pre-XDR MBT and only 6 (10.7 %) cases with MDR TB. Results. 35 (62.5%) patients received full bedaquiline course, 16 received the treatment for a few days to 4 months and did not complete the course, 5 patients with XDR tuberculosis who underwent surgery were treated for more than 6 months. The average duration of bedaquiline course was 4.7 ± 0.3 months. Among the 27 (48.2%) patients who completed the treatment effectively, 22 had XDR TB, 3 – pre-XDR TB, and 2 – MDR TB. The median sputum conversion period was 4.00 ± 0.42 months (CI: 3.14 – 4.86). 13 (23.2%) patients interrupted the treatment, but 9 of them had negative cultures for MBT at this time. These patients received bedaquiline for 1 to 14 months. Treatment failure was recorded in 12 (21.4%) patients, and 4 (7.14%) patients died during the intensive treatment phase. In general, 27 patients with a successful outcome had negative cultures at the end of the intensive phase and 9 patients who effectively completed the intensive phase but interrupted the treatment continuation phase. In total, 36 patients (64.3%) had a successful treatment outcome. Conclusion. The analysis showed that routine administration of the drug without consideration for treatment compliance increases the effectiveness of the intensive phase (64.3%) and does not significantly affect general effectiveness of the treatment (48.2%). The high frequency of treatment interruption remains a serious obstacle to improving the treatment effectiveness.

Increased Fibrosis in a Mouse Model of Anti-Laminin 332 Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid Remains Unaltered by Inhibition of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is an autoimmune blistering disease characterized by autoantibodies against the basal membrane zone of skin and surface-close epithelia and predominant mucosal lesions. The oral cavity and conjunctivae are most frequently affected, albeit clinical manifestations can also occur on the skin. MMP-associated lesions outside the oral cavity typically lead to scarring. Mechanisms underlying scarring are largely unknown in MMP and effective treatment options are limited. Herein, we assessed the collagen architecture in tissue samples of an antibody-transfer mouse model of anti-laminin-332 MMP. In MMP mice, increased collagen fibril density was observed in skin and conjunctival lesions compared to mice injected with normal rabbit IgG. The extracellular matrix of MMP skin samples also showed altered post-translational collagen cross-linking with increased levels of both lysine- and hydroxylysine-derived collagen crosslinks supporting the fibrotic phenotype in experimental MMP compared to control animals. In addition, we evaluated a potential anti-fibrotic therapy in experimental anti-laminin-332 MMP using disulfiram, an inhibitor of the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), which has been implicated in immune-mediated mucosal scarring. In addition, disulfiram also acts as a copper chelator that was shown to block lysyl oxidase activity, an enzyme involved in formation of collagen crosslinks. Topical use of disulfiram (300 μM in 2% [w/v] methocel) did not improve ocular lesions in experimental MMP over the 12-day treatment period in disulfiram-treated mice compared to vehicle-treated mice (n=8/group). Furthermore, C57BL6/J mice (n=8/group) were treated prophylactically with 200 mg/kg p.o. disulfiram or the solvent once daily over a period of 12 days. Systemic treatment did not show any reduction in the severity of oral and ocular lesions in MMP mice, albeit some improvement in skin lesions was observed in disulfiram- vs. vehicle-treated mice (p=0.052). No reduction in fibrosis was seen, as assessed by immunohistochemistry. Whilst blocking of ALDH failed to significantly ameliorate disease activity, our data provide new insight into fibrotic processes highlighting changes in the collagenous matrix and cross-linking patterns in IgG-mediated MMP.

Trends in advance care planning and end-of-life care among persons living with dementia requiring surrogate decision-making.

Previous studies have demonstrated positive impacts of advance care planning (ACP) on end-of-life (EOL) care. We sought to examine trends in ACP and EOL care intensity among persons living with dementia who required surrogate decision-making in their final days of life. We analyzed the participants of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal panel study of U.S. residents, with dementia 70 years and older who required surrogate decision-making in the final days of life and died between 2000 and 2014. Based on surrogate reports after the death of a participant, our study measured the completion of three specific types of patient-engaged ACP (written EOL care instructions, assignment of a durable power of attorney for healthcare, patient engagement in EOL care discussions) and four measures of EOL care in the final days of life (death in hospital, receipt of life-prolonging treatments, limiting or withholding certain treatments, and receipt of comfort-oriented care). All analyses accounted for the complex survey design of HRS. Among 870 adults (weighted N= 2,812,380) with dementia who died in 2000-2014 and required surrogate decision-making at EOL, only 34.8% of patients participated in all three aspects of ACP, and there was not a significant increase in ACP completion between 2000 and 2014. The receipt of life-prolonging treatments in the final days of life has increased over time (adjusted change per year, 1.4 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI, 0.5 to 2.2pp; P-for-trend=0.002), while the percentage of death in hospital, limiting or withholding certain treatments, or comfort-oriented care did not change. Our findings suggest that the rates of ACP completion have not increased over time despite its potential benefits and life-prolonging treatments are still common among PLWD who require surrogate decision-making, a population who might benefit greatly from early ACP.

Topical phenytoin administration accelerates the healing of acetic acid-induced colitis in rats: evaluation of transforming growth factor-beta, platelet-derived growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor.

Ulcerative colitis (UC), limited to the colon's innermost lining, has become a global health problem. Immunomodulatory and monoclonal antibodies are used to treat UC despite their side effects and limitations. Phenytoin is used to heal wounds owing to its effects on growth factors, collagen, and extracellular matrix synthesis. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of topical phenytoin administration in UC. Phenytoin was administered in two doses during the treatment. Eighty male Wistar rats (230-280g) were divided randomly into ten groups of sham, control, hydrocortisone, phenytoin 1%, and 3% groups in 6- or 12-day treatment protocols. The UC model was induced by the administration of acetic acid 4% into the colon. Animals were killed on the 7th and 13th postoperative days. The main outcome measures included body weight loss, microscopic score, and ulcer index measured using specific criteria. Growth factors were measured by western blotting. Results illustrated that body weight loss was reversed in the treatment groups. Ulcer index had decreased on 6- and 12-day treatment protocols. Microscopic scores in 6-day enema treatment significantly decreased compared to the control groups. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) significantly increased in a time-dependent manner and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) significantly increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner in phenytoin 1% and 3% in the 6- and 12-day protocols. Phenytoin dose- and time-dependently reversed weight loss. In addition, histopathological parameters included microscopic scores, and the ulcer index was decreased through the induction of growth factors TGFβ, PDGF, and VEGF and consequently accelerated ulcer healing.

The importance of the scoring system in Fournier's gangrene.

The objective of the study was to investigate risk factors affecting mortality rates in patients with Fournier's gangrene (FG) and develop methods to increase the survival rate. We collected data of 73 patients treated for FG between February 2012 and June 2021 at Istanbul Professor Doctor Cemil Taşçıoğlu City Hospital General Surgery Clinic. The data of living patients (Group 1, n=56) and deceased patients (Group 2, n=17) were analyzed separately. Demographic data of patients were sex, age, infection rate, Uludag FG severity index (UFGSI) scores and FG severity index (FGSI) scores, urea serum levels, the source of infection, the presence of diabetes, obesity, the presence of diversion stoma, duration of vacuum-assisted closure treatment in days, hospitalization time in days, intensive care period in days, and isolated bacterial species. The mortality rate was 23%. A significant difference in age and dissemination score of the infection was found between the two groups. According to UFGSI and FGSI scores, the scores of the two groups of patients were significantly higher. The UFGSI had 100% sensitivity and 68% sensitivity. FGSI had 82% sensitivity and 58% specificity. The cutoff values for UFGSI and FGSI were 8 and 6, respectively. Age and dissemination scores of diseases were important factors that cause mortality in patients with FG. However, an accurate scoring system is important in predicting patients to be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Patients with a UFGSI score above 8 face a higher risk of death and should be treated in the ICU.

Effect of Post Heat-treatment on Spectral Shifts Photopolymer Reflection Holograms and Its Use for Creating Color Holograms

The effect of post heat-treatment on the spectral properties of photopolymer reflection holograms scheme has been studied. It has been established that holograms with protective film retain a high diffraction efficiency of ~ 90% and do not have additional shrinkage during heat treatment for several days at a temperature of 80-90oC. The holograms without a protective film, removed after exposition, when heated in the temperature range of 40-110oC, show effective shrinkage up to 17% without compromising diffraction efficiency. Addiction the degree of shrinkage from the time of keeping the hologram at a given temperature is described by the function biexponential growth with saturation. The parameters of the approximating function are calculated. The characteristic shrinkage times in the temperature range of 40-110oC decrease from hours to minutes for fast components and from tens of days to tens of minutes for the slow component. Effect large shift of spectral response was used to create color-separated holograms. Color-separated holograms were obtained in two ways: two-layer version with shrinkage of one of the layers, single-layer version using photoresistive pattern and subsequent shrinkage. Keywords: reflection photopolymer holograms, thermal shrinkage, spectral shifts, color holograms

Oral Minocycline Challenge as a Potential First-Line Therapy for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Long Covid-19 Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome characterized by severe disabling fatigue, prolonged post-exertional malaise, and unrefreshing sleep markedly reduces the activities of daily living and impairs the quality of life. Central nervous system dysfunction associated with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has been postulated as the main cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. Recently, oral minocycline therapy has been reported to exert favorable therapeutic effects in some patients with ME, especially in the initial stage of the disease, although many patients discontinued treatment in the first few days because of acute adverse effects such as nausea and/or dizziness. Minocycline appeared to exert a variety of biologic actions against neural inflammation that are independent of their anti-microbial activity, including anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective effects. In recent years, it has been noted that COVID-19 disease may cause persistent signs and symptoms described as post-COVID syndrome or long COVID, in which the clinical presentation is remarkably similar to those seen in patients with ME. A wide range of infectious agents have been suggested to trigger the development of ME, and one of such pathogens may be the COVID-19 virus. Recently, I had a valuable experience of a 22-year-old female patient with a 14-month duration of long COVID who completely recovered from ME-like symptoms after treatment with minocycline. This case suggests that oral minocycline could be an effective first-line therapy for long COVID-19, although a large scale of trial is obviously needed to justify the therapy.

Timely outpatient treatment of cervical cancer: the influence of region of residence for women in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

This study aimed to investigate whether there is an association between the Extended Health Regions (EHR) of residence in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the interval between diagnosis and start of treatment for women who underwent outpatient treatment (chemotherapy or radiotherapy) for cervical cancer by the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS), between 2001 and 2015. This is a cross-sectional study, part of a cohort with 8,857 women. Negative binomial regression models were used to evaluate the association of EHR of residence and the interval between diagnosis and start of treatment (in days), considering a significance level of 5%. The models were constructed using blocks of sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment-related covariates. It was found that the EHR of residence of women is associated with the interval between diagnosis and start of treatment. The northern EHR was the region of the state where the average time to start treatment was lower, and not residing in this EHR increases the average time to start treatment between 24% and 93% compared to other EHRs in the state. The disparity in the interval between diagnosis and start of treatment between the regions of Minas Gerais is evident. The availability of services enabled for the treatment of cancer in the EHRs does not necessarily results in a greater agility for the start of treatment. Understanding the flows of Oncology Care Networks and their regional differences is essential to improve public policies that ensure compliance with current laws, such as Law n. 12,732/2012, which recommends the start of treatment for cancer patients within 60 days after diagnosis.

Влияние термической пост-обработки на спектральные сдвиги фотополимерных отражательных голограмм и её использование для получения цветоделённых изображений

The effect of post heat-treatment on the spectral properties of photopolymer reflection holograms scheme has been studied. It has been established that holograms with protective film retain a high diffraction efficiency of ∼ 90% and do not have additional shrinkage during heat treatment for several days at a temperature of 80–90°C. The holograms without a protective film, removed after exposition, when heated in the temperature range of 40–110°C, show effective shrinkage up to 17% without compromising diffraction efficiency. Addiction the degree of shrinkage from the time of keeping the hologram at a given temperature is described by the function biexponential growth with saturation. The parameters of the approximating function are calculated. The characteristic shrinkage times in the temperature range of 40–110°C decrease from hours to minutes for fast components and from tens of days to tens of minutes for the slow component. Effect large shift of spectral response was used to create color-separated holograms. Color-separated holograms were obtained in two ways: two-layer version with shrinkage of one of the layers, single-layer version using photoresistive pattern and subsequent shrinkage.

In-vitro antifungal activity of leaf, stem bark and root extracts of Irvingia gabonensis against fungi associated with its seed deterioration

Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O'Rorke) Baill seeds are often contaminated in storage by postharvest spoilage fungi. This study investigated the nutritional contents of the seeds, phytochemical contents and antioxidant activity of different parts of the plant as well as their antifungal effects against fungi isolated from the deteriorated seeds. Proximate, mineral and phytochemical analyses were carried out using standard laboratory techniques. The antioxidant activity was against DPPH radicals. Ethanol extracts (100 and 200 mg/ml) of the various parts were screened against the isolates using pour plate method in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates. The plates were examined for growth daily for 10 days. Data were statistically analysed. The healthy seeds contained higher protein (13.73%), fat (58.73%) and fibre (2.50%), whereas, higher content of moisture (10.17%) and carbohydrate (15.47%) were observed in the spoilt seeds. The leaf had highest contents of alkaloids (1228.3 mg/100 g), flavonoids (1345.9 mg/100 g), tannins (1345.9 mg/100 g), saponins (578.3 mg/100 g) and carotenoids (2348.3 μg/100 g). The antioxidant activity of the leaf (50.30%) was the highest. Fungi isolated from the deteriorated seeds were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Curvilaria lunata. The leaf was most effective against A. niger, A. flavus and C. lunata whereas the stem bark extract was most effective against A. fumigatus. The F-values were significant for model, treatment, concentration and number of days for the leaf and root. This study confirmed the antifungal activity of extracts of various parts of the plant against isolates implicated in the deterioration of its seeds. The extracts could be used as preservative to enhance the shelf-life and nutritional quality of the seeds.&#x0D; Keywords: Irvingia gabonensis, Spoilage of seeds, Antifungal activity, Free radical scavengers, Preservatives