Histological Basis Research Articles

Right vs. Left colorectal cancer – Where do we draw the line?

PurposeNo consensus on the definition of right and left colorectal cancer (CRC) exists, nor studies offering histological or molecular basis for such categorisation. This study investigated the regional variations in the histological and molecular characteristics of CRCs, with the objective of determining an optimal division point between right and left CRCs. Materials and methodsAn observational study of consecutive patients who underwent CRC resection (1995–2022) at Concord Hospital, Sydney was performed. Clinicopathological data were extracted from a prospective database and seven permutations of right-left divisions considered. Logistic regression tested association between the right-left divisions and pathological characteristics. Receiver operating characteristic and area under the curve (AUC) analyses determined the discriminative ability of each division to predict 18 pathology characteristics. Results3753 patients underwent a CRC resection (2120 male; mean 69.5yrs [SD12.6]). There was regional variation in tumours with respect to tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR), and mutant BRAF (mBRAF). Left-sided tumours were less likely to demonstrate TILs (P < 0.001), be dMMR (P < 0.001), and express mBRAF (P < 0.001). Division at the descending-sigmoid junction yielded highest discriminative abilities: TILs – AUC 0.66, dMMR – AUC 0.76, and mBRAF – AUC 0.73. ConclusionThis is the first study to provide a pathological basis on which right- and left-sided cancers may be defined, and found the optimal division point between the right and left colorectum to be at the descending-sigmoid junction. Further research is needed to determine whether this can facilitate individualised patient management.

Expression patterns of melanin-related genes are linked to crypsis and conspicuousness in a pumpkin toadlet.

Colour signals play pivotal roles in different communication systems, and the evolution of these characters has been associated with behavioural ecology, integumentary production processes and perceptual mechanisms of the species involved. Here, we present the first insight into the molecular and histological basis of skin colour polymorphism within a miniaturized species of pumpkin toadlet, potentially representing the lowest size threshold for colour polytypism in tetrapods. Brachycephalus actaeus exhibits a coloration ranging from cryptic green to conspicuous orange skin, and our findings suggest that colour morphs differ in their capability to be detected by potential predators. We also found that the distribution and abundance of chromatophores are variable in the different colour morphs. The expression pattern of coloration related genes was predominantly associated with melanin synthesis (including dct, edn1, mlana, oca2, pmel, slc24a5, tyrp1 and wnt9a). Up-regulation of melanin genes in grey, green and brown skin was associated with higher melanophore abundance than in orange skin, where xanthophores predominate. Our findings provide a significant foundation for comparing and understanding the diverse pathways that contribute to the evolution of pigment production in the skin of amphibians.

A histological and immunohistochemical investigation to assess the therapeutic role of metformin nanoemulsion against metformin in a diabetic retinopathy model

ABSTRACT The fundamental concept of diabetes research is the restoration of normal glycemic status. Nowadays, nanoemulsion medication delivery technologies provide effective approaches to the second type of diabetes mellitus care. This study aimed to investigate the potential of metformin nanoemulsion (MTF-NE) in treating streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic retinopathy in rats. Histopathological examinations, including hematoxylin and eosin, anti-F-actin, anti-CD57, and anti-S100 immunostains, were performed after 8 weeks. Many alterations in the STZ group as slight disorganization of retinal layers, loss of some photoreceptor processes, and focal widening of intercellular spaces between small darkly stained nuclear cells in inner and outer nuclear layers, focal areas of disruption of outer plexiform layer, pyknotic nuclei of ganglion cells, and dilated congested blood capillaries with vascular leakage in the ganglion cell layer, decreased F-actin, increased CD75 and S100 immunohistochemical expression. Rats treated with metformin nanoemulsion have substantial improvements in retinal organization, histopathology, and immunohistochemical markers compared to those treated with metformin. The study suggests that metformin nanoemulsion holds promise for alleviating diabetic retinopathy in rats on a histological and immunohistochemical basis.

Morphological and Histological Structure of Adexinal Glands of some Solitary Bee Species (Hymenoptera – Apoidea)

Solitary bees are diverse and very important for plant and crop pollination. They are extensively studied taxonomically, but little is known about their anatomy and physiology compared to honey bees. Dufour’s gland is important for many physiological functions in social and solitary bees. The present study addresses the morphological and histological structure of Dufour’s gland in ten bee species representing bee families Andrenidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, Melittidae, Megachilidae, and Apidae. Results indicated that the shape and size of the glands tend to differ from one species to the other. However, on histological bases, the intern seems to be the same among the secretion cell types. The gland varied in length and size in the studied species, probably due to nesting behavior differences: ground and cavity nesting. Further studies are needed to clarify the different secretions produced by Dufour’s gland and their functions in each species.

Myocardial Injury in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients Assessed by Multiparametric MRI: Relationship With Left Ventricular Phenotypes.

Myocardial injury is common in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, but the presence and severity of myocardial injury in different left ventricular (LV) phenotypes were still not fully explored. To evaluate myocardial tissue characteristics and deformation in ESRD patients on peritoneal dialysis separated into normal geometry, concentric remodeling, concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and eccentric LVH patterns by multiparametric cardiac MRI. Prospective. A total of 142 subjects, including 102 on peritoneal dialysis (69 males) and 40 healthy controls (27 males). At 3.0 T, cine sequence, T1 mapping and T2 mapping. LV mass index and LV remodeling index were used to create four subgroups with normal geometry, concentric remodeling, concentric LVH, and eccentric LVH. LV function, strain and strain rate, myocardial native T1 and T2 were measured. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and analysis of covariance, Pearson/Spearman correlation, stepwise regression, and intraclass correlation coefficient. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Even in normal geometry, LV strain parameters still diminished compared with the controls (global radial strain: 30.5 ± 7.7% vs. 37.1 ± 7.9%; global circumferential strain: -18.2 ± 2.6% vs. -20.6 ± 2.2%; global longitudinal strain: -13.3 ± 2.5% vs. -16.0 ± 2.8%). Eccentric LVH had significantly lower global circumferential systolic strain rate than concentric LVH (-0.82 ± 0.21%/-second vs. -0.96 ± 0.20%/-second). Compared with the controls, the four subgroups all revealed elevated native T1 and T2, especially in eccentric LVH, while concentric remodeling had the least changes including native T1, T2, and LV ejection fraction. After adjusting for covariates, there was no statistically significant difference in T2 between the four subgroups (P = 0.359). Eccentric LVH is associated with the most pronounced evidence of myocardial tissue characteristics and function impairment, while as a benign remodeling, the concentric remodeling subgroup had the least increase in native T1. This study further confirms that native T1 and strain indicators can reflect the severity of myocardial injury in ESRD, providing better histological and functional basis for future grouping treatments. 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

Blastomycosis: Report of a case from North India and its current status in the Indian subcontinent

Blastomycosis is a rarely known disease in India. This review traces the misdiagnosed cases of the disease reported as early as 1925 and later till 1997. Of the several authentic cases reported from India, only two have been authentically diagnosed autochthonous cases. Our case diagnosed on histological basis had a diagnostic dilemma as one of the PAS stained tissue section from the lesion showed slightly elongated yeast cells though these were with multiple budding. With the help of academic colleagues (joint authors in the paper), diagnosis of this case as blastomycosis was confirmed by latest molecular techniques as described in the case report. The clinical and diagnostic features of human autochthonous cases are reviewed. There is only known report of canine blastomycosis from India. It is suggested additional canine cases should be looked for in different parts of India to facilitate detection of endemic foci of B. dermatitidis in the country.

Efficacy of Taxifolin in The Prevention of Renal Injury Due to Liver Ischemia and Reperfusion

Aim: During surgical procedures such as liver resection and transplantation, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and related complications may occur at a rate of approximately 10%. Our study, we planned to investigate histologically and biochemically the efficacy of Taxifolin in the prevention of renal tissue damage in liver ischemia reperfusion. Methods: A total of 28 Wistar Albino rats with an average age of 8-10 weeks and weights of 250-300 grams were used in our study. Group 1 (n=7): control group, Group 2 (n=7): Taxifolin group; Taxifolin was administered orally at a dose of 50 mg/kg for 3 weeks, Group 3 (n=7): Liver I/R group, 30 minutes ischemia and 120 minutes reperfusion was performed. Group 4 (n=7): Taxifolin+Liver I/R group. Results: Kidney tissues of the liver I/R group showed atrophy, degeneration of tubule epithelium and increased TNF-α expression. In addition, deterioration in renal function tests was also monitored in this group. In the Taxifolin+Liver I/R group, a significant difference was observed on both histologic and biochemical basis compared to the Liver I/R group and a positive effect was observed (p&amp;lt;0.05). Outcome: As a consequence of hepatic ischemia and reperfusion, impairment in the function and histological appearance of renal tissues was observed and Taxifolin was monitored to be effective in eliminating these adverse effects.

Correlation of serum kisspeptin and leptin with non-obstructive azoospermia: A cross-sectional study in a subset of Karachi population.

To determine the association of serum kisspeptin, leptin, and other hormonal profile with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in infertile male subjects. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Australian Concept Infertility Medical Center, and Ziauddin University, Karachi from March 2018 to March 2020. The duration of the study was two years. Serum samples of 106 azoospermic participants were taken. Division of the subjects was done on a histological basis into obstructive azoospermia (OA) n=36, NOA n=70 which were further divided into spermatid maturation arrest (SMA), n=41, and sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) n=29. Serum kisspeptin and leptin were measured by ELISA (Cloud-Clone Corp). The follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (p<0.01), luteinizing hormone (LH) (p<0.01), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (p<0.01), and estradiol (p<0.01) was significantly high in the NOA group. However, kisspeptin was significantly decreased (p<0.01) in the NOA group. In the multivariate analysis after adjusting for other variables, the results showed that with the decrease in kisspeptin, the chances of being NOA were increased. Moreover, with the increase in Leptin, FSH, LH, and TSH the chances of being NOA were significantly enhanced. Serum kisspeptin, leptin, FSH, LH, TSH, and estradiol can be a potential marker for NOA in terms of better diagnosis, targeted therapeutic management, and the decision to proceed with surgical intervention.

Microstructural comparison of pit organ between Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis

The present study was conducted to investigate the distribution of pit organ in the critically endangered Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis), the similarities and differences in the microstructure of pit organ between Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon, and to provide a histological basis for studying the pit organ in sturgeon species. We used hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, nissl staining, multi-layer fine scanning, and scanning electron microscopy to compare and analyse the microstructure of pit organ between Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon. The results showed that the structure of pit organ of Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon are similar. The distribution density of pit organ in different parts of Chinese sturgeon was different, and the density of pit organ on the ventral surface of the snout was the highest. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the pit organ of Hybrid sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon were densely packed and about 500–1000 μm wide. Nissl staining revealed that more peripheral nerves are distributed under the sensory and support cells of the pit organ. Based on previous research and our results, the increase in electrical receptivity of sturgeons with individual development is not only due to the increase in the number of inductive receptors, but may also be related to the increase in the width of the pit organ.

Recipient Reaction and Composition of Autologous Sural Nerve Tissue Grafts into the Human Brain.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a severe neurological disease for which there is no effective treatment or cure, and therefore it remains an unmet need in medicine. We present data from four participants who received autologous transplantation of small pieces of sural nerve tissue into either the basal forebrain containing the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) or the midbrain substantia nigra (SN). The grafts did not exhibit significant cell death or severe host-tissue reaction up to 55 months post-grafting and contained peripheral cells. Dopaminergic neurites showed active growth in the graft area and into the graft in the SN graft, and cholinergic neurites were abundant near the graft in the NBM. These results provide a histological basis for changes in clinical features after autologous peripheral nerve tissue grafting into the NBM or SN in PD.

Combined Bazedoxifene and Genistein Ameliorate Ovariectomy-Induced Hippocampal Neuro-Alterations via Activating CREB/BDNF/TrkB Signaling Pathway.

The scientific research community devotes stupendous efforts to control the arguable counterbalance between the undesirable effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and post-menopausal syndrome. The recent emergence of 3rd generation selective estrogen receptor modulators and phytoestrogens has provided a promising alternative to HRT. Hence, we assessed the potential effects of combined Bazedoxifene and Genistein on hippocampal neuro-alterations induced by experimental ovariectomy. For this purpose, we utilized forty-eight healthy sexually mature female Wistar rats assorted to control, ovariectomy (OVX), Genistein-treated ovariectomized (OVX+GEN) and Bazedoxifene and Genistein-treated ovariectomized (OVX+BZA+GEN) groups. Hippocampi samples from various groups were examined by H&E, silver stains and immunohistochemical examination for calbindin-D28k, GFAP, and BAX proteins. We also assessed hippocampal mRNA expression of ERK, CREB, BDNF and TrkB. Our histopathological results confirmed that combined BZA+GEN induced restoration of hippocampal neuronal architecture, significant reduction of GFAP and BAX mean area % and significant upregulation of calbindin-D28k immunoexpression. Furthermore, we observed significant upregulation of ERK, CREB, BDNF and TrkB mRNA expression in the BZA+GEN group compared to the OVX group. Taken together, our findings have provided a comprehensive assessment of histological, immunohistochemical and cyto-molecular basis of combined Genistein and Bazedoxifene ameliorative impacts on hippocampal neuro-alterations of OVX rats via upregulation of Calbindin, CERB, BDNF, Trk-B and ERK neuronal expression.

Myth-Busting the Zone-of-Injury Concept: A Prospective Study on the Vascular Response to High-Energy Lower Extremity Trauma.

Although the zone-of-injury concept is widely accepted, no histologic studies of vessel wall changes causing the phenomenon have been reported. In this prospective study, the vascular response to high-energy lower extremity trauma was investigated to evaluate the validity of the zone-of-injury concept. The histologic appearance of arterial and venous walls in the zone of injury was studied in 19 patients (median age, 46 years; interquartile range, 29.5 to 62.5 years) who underwent osteosynthesis and free flap reconstruction after high-energy lower extremity open fracture. Vascular samples were harvested from the injured extremity, and control samples were harvested from the free flap donor site. Histologic and morphometric characteristics of the vessels were analyzed microscopically and using digital pathology QuPath software. Vascular samples were harvested on postinjury days 1 through 11. Intimal thickness was more than 3 times greater in arteries harvested from the zone of injury than in control samples ( P < 0.01), and the intima/media ratio was 2-fold that in control samples ( P = 0.01). Arterial intimal fibrosis was more evident in vessels harvested from the zone of injury ( P < 0.01), but medial fibrosis and medial thickness did not differ significantly between groups. Venous intimal thickening ( P < 0.01) and the intima/media ratio ( P = 0.02) were greater in samples from the zone of injury. Fibrosis-related changes did not differ between groups ( P = 0.45). These findings support the validity of the zone-of-injury concept by providing a novel histologic basis for this phenomenon. Intimal thickening and arterial intimal fibrosis are prominent histologic features of vessels affected by major lower extremity trauma.

Histological and molecular response of oral cavity tissues to Covid-19.

The world is still dealing with Covid-19 waves, and maintaining good oral health has systemic effects on overall health. This review's objective is to identify the main oral manifestations of this illness, its effects on oral tissues at their histological bases, their molecular cell mechanisms, and the relationship issues between Covid-19 outcomes and oral health conditions. The main sources of the review are research articles published from 2000 to 2023. The main used terms in search were Covid-19 oral manifestations, Corona virus and Taste, or Olfaction, Covid and periodontitis, or Oral cavity. the angiotensin-converting enzyme II receptor (ACE2), which serves as a cellular entry point for viral entry into the cell to cause Covid-19 infection, is the target of corona virus attacks on human cells. The destruction of keratinocytes and oral fibroblasts, which is an indication of the virus's direct impact on oral tissues, results in inflammatory reactions in the salivary glands, tongue, and gingiva, which may explain both the loss of taste and the mouth ulceration. Additionally, there is a significant correlation between Covid-19 outcome and periodontitis. This results from the connection between hyperinflammation and poor oral hygiene.

578 Impact of Acellular Fish Skin on Wound Healing in a Standardized Pre-Clinical Model

Abstract Introduction Acellular fish skin has proven to be effective in acute and chronic wound healing. Multiple human studies have to date demonstrated that products from acellular skin grafts accelerate wound healing and are efficacious, safe and cost-effective. Here we wanted to investigate the effects of acellular fish skin on wound healing in a pig model. Methods The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acellular fish skin on wound healing progression in a full thickness skin defect pig model. The superiority of fish skin was tested in a standardized pig model and compared to normal wound healing (without acellular fish skin grafts) (n=6). The experiments were carried out in male landrace pigs with a mean weight of 28.8 +/- 2.8 kg at the start of the study. The experiment lasted for 21 days. Wound documentation, thermography, photo-documentation and wound perfusion were carried out 5, 9, 14 and 21 days post wounding. Results Clinical evaluation of the wounds showed that there were no major differences between the different dressings on day 5 post wounding. On the next evaluation days ( day 9, 14 and 21 post wounding) the acellular fish skin showed rapid epithelialization with minimal wound contraction, when compared to untreated control wounds, which showed significant signs of contraction (i.e. star-like wound appearance). Wound area measurements clearly showed that wound size upon treatment with the acellular fish skin and the untreated control rapidly and significantly decreased through contraction of untreated controls. However, wound perfusion seemed to be affected by the treatment with acellular fish skin. Thermography at day 9 and 14 showed higher surface temperature in treated wounds (d9 and d14; p = 0.0005), followed by a trend towards increased oxygenation and perfusion, analyzed by laser speckle and hyperspectral imaging. Conclusions Acellular fish skin seems to provide fast wound healing and counteract wound contraction. Untreated wounds showed a slight trend of faster healing, but showed significant signs of wound contraction which points towards wound healing by contraction but not by epithelialization. This contraction was not observed in wounds treated with acellular fish skin. Applicability of Research to Practice Standardized preclinical models give valuable insights to the mechanisms of wound healing. Porcine in vivo models are of special interest as the porcine skin is highly similar to human skin with regard to anatomical and physiological structures. Therefore, data generated in such models, as described here, show a high rate of translatability to the human situation.

579 Histopathological Changes in the Endocrine Pancreas of Rats During the Acute Period of Burns

Abstract Introduction Severe burn victims experience a systemic inflammatory response and a hypermetabolic response. Presence of hyperglycemia, even with concurrent hyperinsulinism, is indicative of insufficient insulin secretion from beta cells to overcome the glycemia. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of beta-cell failure in patients with acquired insulin resistance after burn trauma are not clearly understood. Our aim in this study was to describe the histopathological changes in the pancreatic islets secondary to severe burns in an experimental animal model. Methods Fourteen Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: the sham group and the burn group. A full-thickness burn model was designed to induce a burn of 25% total body surface area. Seven days after burn induction and sham procedure, pancreatectomy was performed. Pancreatic tissues were examined under light microscopy, and islet size and cellularity were calculated. Results The histopathologic examination was unremarkable, but the mean number of islets per pancreatic tissue was lower in the burn group than in the sham group. We observed a significant difference in the mean number of cells per one islet between the 2 groups, with the cell count higher in the burn group (P &amp;lt; .05). Conclusions During the acute phase of burn injury in rats, we observed a decrease in the number of pancreatic islets with remarkable hypercellularity. Further studies are needed to determine the histological and cellular basis of these changes. Applicability of Research to Practice Major burn injury causes severe alterations in beta-cell mass, which increases and decreases both function and mass to maintain the glycemic level within a very narrow physiological range. Patients with acute and prolonged hyperglycemia can have complications leading to impaired wound healing, increased skin graft loss, increased muscle protein catabolism, increased incidence of infections, and mortality. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the pancreatic changes under different preexisting conditions and therapeutic interventions in the context of a major burn trauma might guide treatment options.

Abstract 5393: Comparison of deep learning approaches applied to hematoxylin and eosin-stained whole slide images from women with benign breast disease to predict risk of developing invasive breast cancer

Abstract Purpose: To compare deep learning (DL) approaches applied to hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E)-stained whole slide images (WSIs) from women with benign breast disease (BBD) to predict risk of developing invasive breast cancer (BC). Method: Two deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) based on a customized 16-layer CNN (known as VGG-16 by Visual Geometry Group, University of Oxford) and an automated CNN (Google’s AutoML) were trained using H&amp;E-stained WSIs to identify distinct histological features on diagnostic BBD biopsies that characterize BBD patients who were (cases, n=347) and were not (controls, n=347) subsequently diagnosed with invasive BC. The CNNs consisted of multiple convolutions, max pooling, fully connected, etc., layers. To incorporate our data into the VGG network, we customized the network architecture and hyperparameters to enhance the classification performances. For AutoML, we used the system's default network with standard hyperparameters. The trained model was then tested on a held-out set of 140 patients (70 cases and 70 controls). The quantitative performance was evaluated using accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SE), precision (PR), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), etc. For qualitative results, we generated heatmaps using weights and feature maps from the final convolution layer of our customized CNN. Heatmaps were superimposed onto original H&amp;E images to highlight different unique features (such as pattern, texture, color, and morphology). Results: We found both deep learning methods to demonstrate remarkable ability in predicting case-control status in the held-out set (AUROC= 90% and 89% for customized CNN and AutoML, respectively). However, our customized CNN outperformed AutoML in terms of ACC (83.57% (95% confidence interval (CI): 76-89%) vs 77.86% (95%CI: 70-84%), respectively); SE (82.85% (95%CI: 72-91%) vs 77.86% (95%CI: 70-84%), respectively); PR (84.05% (95%CI: 73-92%) vs 81.97% (95%CI: 70-91%), respectively); F1 score (83.45% (95%CI: 76-89%) vs 76.34% (95%CI: 68-83%), respectively); as well as error rates (0.16% (95%CI: 0.11-0.24%) vs 0.22% (95%CI: 0.16-0.30%), respectively). Heatmaps revealed specific stromal and epithelial features that were distinct between case and control images. Conclusion: By using routinely available H&amp;E-stained WSIs, we developed a customized CNN that outperformed AutoML in distinguishing future BC cases from controls in a BBD population. The qualitative results identified stromal and epithelial regions in the BBD biopsies that were highly predictive of being a case versus control and vice versa thereby providing etiologic clues into breast cancer development following BBD. Future research will focus on leveraging DL to better understand the histologic basis of BBD progression to invasive BC. Citation Format: Monjoy Saha, Mustapha Abubakar, Thomas E. Rohan, Ruth M. Pfeiffer, Máire A. Duggan, Kathryn Richert-Boe, Jonine D. Figueroa, Jonas S. Almeida, Gretchen L. Gierach. Comparison of deep learning approaches applied to hematoxylin and eosin-stained whole slide images from women with benign breast disease to predict risk of developing invasive breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5393.

Effect of optimizing the use of endoscope on the efficiency of microdynamic bromhidrosis removal operation.

Bromhidrosis, also known as body odor, is a common disease in life, which often occurs in young adults. The histological basis of bromhidrosis is the hyperplasia of apocrine sweat glands. To compare the effects of different methods of endoscopy in microdynamic axillary osmidrosis removal on curative effect, complications, and surgical efficiency. A total of 149 patients with axillary osmidrosis were treated in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. They were treated with endoscopic assistance in the whole process of operation (Group A) and endoscope-assisted exploration after blind rotary cutter suction (Group B), respectively, and the curative effect, complication rate, and surgical efficiency were evaluated. There was no significant difference in the curative effect and complication rate between the two groups, but the endoscope-assisted exploration group after suction with rotary cutter (Group B) had higher surgical efficiency. On the basis of professional use of rotary cutter, it is efficient to choose endoscope to check the excision of sweat gland in the operation area and stop bleeding in time after blind suction.

Fruit shape loci sun, ovate, fs8.1 and their interactions affect seed size and shape in tomato.

Seed size and shape are not only critical for plant reproduction and dispersal, but also important agronomic traits. Tomato fruit shape loci sun, ovate and fs8.1 regulate the morphology of fruit, flower, leaf and stem, and recently their functions in seed morphogenesis have also been noticed. However, mechanism underlying seed morphology variation has not been systematically investigated yet. Thus, using the near isogenic lines (NILs) harboring one, two or three of the fruit shape loci, histological, physiological and transcriptional bases of seed morphology change have been studied. sun and ovate showed potential abilities in decreasing seed size, whereas, fs8.1 had a potential ability in increasing this parameter. Interactions between two loci and the interaction among three loci all led to significant decrease of seed size. All the loci significantly down-regulated seed shape index (SSI), except for sun/fs8.1 double NIL, which resulted in the reductions in both seed length and width and finally led to a decreased trend of SSI. Histologically, seed morphological changes were mainly attributed to the cell number variations. Transcriptional and physiological analyses discovered that phytohormone-, cytoskeleton- as well as sugar transportation- and degradation-related genes were involved in the regulation of seed morphology by the fruit shape loci.

Neurocognitive Functions after Stereotactic Radiosurgery - An Analysis with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)

Background: Throughout the past decade, the research on neuro-oncology has increased awareness regarding the significance of cognitive functions as an outcome in different treatment modalities for patients with a primary brain tumor but only limited studies have explored the subject of the likelihood of cognitive dysfunction in patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery/stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS/SRT). This, modern radiation delivery technique allows high-dose delivery to the target and minimum dose to the brain/critical organs resulting in better tumor control and perhaps an improvement in Neurocognitive functions (NCF). Objectives: To explore the effect of stereotactic radiosurgery/stereotactic radiotherapy on neurocognitive functions (NCF) in various brain tumors. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at Neurospinal and Cancer Care Institute (NCCI), Karachi. A total of 100 patients who had undergone multisession stereotactic radiosurgery /stereotactic radiotherapy were selected after taking their written informed consent by employing a convenient sampling technique. The type of tumor was classified and identified on a radiological and histological basis. Neurocognitive function evaluation was carried out through Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score questionnaire provided to patients at baseline (pre-radiosurgery SRS/SRT), and 6 months after treatment (post-radiosurgery SRS/SRT). Results: The mean age of patients was 37.38±15.03 years and the majority (49%) belonged to the 27-44 years age group. The majority of them were males whereas the most common pathology found was glioma (31%). Moreover, both overall and in patients having prior surgery, the comparison of different MMSE score levels showed that there was a significant increase in patients with normal score levels and a significant decrease in patients with mild and moderate score levels after treatment (P=0.006 and P=0.046 respectively) at post-treatment time. Conclusion: Stereotactic radiosurgery results in the improvement of neurocognitive functions. Previously known radiation-related impairment of NCF should be re-explored in light of modern radiosurgery/radiotherapy techniques with larger studies.

Osseointegration of 3D-printed titanium implants with surface and structure modifications

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to establish a mechanical and histological basis for the development of biocompatible maxillofacial reconstruction implants by combining 3D-printed porous titanium structures and surface treatment. Improved osseointegration of 3D-printed titanium implants for reconstruction of maxillofacial segmental bone defect could be advantageous in not only quick osseointegration into the bone tissue but also in stabilizing the reconstruction. MethodsVarious macro-mesh titanium scaffolds were fabricated by 3D-printing. Human mesenchymal stem cells were used for cell attachment and proliferation assays. Osteogenic differentiation was confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. The osseointegration rate was measured using micro computed tomography imaging and histological analysis. ResultsIn three dimensional-printed scaffold, globular microparticle shape was observed regardless of structure or surface modification. Cell attachment and proliferation rates increased according to the internal mesh structure and surface modification. However, osteogenic differentiation in vitro and osseointegration in vivo revealed that non-mesh structure/non-surface modified scaffolds showed the most appropriate treatment effect. Conclusion3D-printed solid structure is the most suitable option for maxillofacial reconstruction. Various mesh structures reduced osteogenesis of the mesenchymal stem cells and osseointegration compared with that by the solid structure. Surface modification by microarc oxidation induced cell proliferation and increased the expression of some osteogenic genes partially; however, most of the markers revealed that the non-anodized solid scaffold was the most suitable for maxillofacial reconstruction.