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The kinetic of photo catalytic degradation of Congo red dye using semiconductor in aqueous solution of ZnO has been studied. All photochemical experiments have been carried out in quartz photo cell 25ml capacity and the solvent used for all experiment was distilled water (D. W). The influence of temperature has been investigated as well. Spectrophotometric method was utilized for this work. Degradation kinetic has been done for absorption peak of Congo red at 497 nm and 344 nm. Different method was applied for this purpose, and the results show that the degradation of Congo red was first order at 497nm and zero order at 344 nm. The degradation of CR dye were increased by increasing temperature from 20 oC to 40 oC and then degreased at 50 oC and this is due to desorption that occur at the semiconductor surface while; in case of 10 oC the rate constant was higher than 20 oC. However, when changing the concentration the rate constant dose not changed regularly, this perhaps due to the fact that it does not follow the same order throughout the degradation process, and it does not obey Arrhenius law of activation energy.

In this paper, we investigate the existence, uniqueness, and stability of the periodic solution for the system of nonlinear integro-differential equations by using the numerical-analytic methods for investigating the solutions and the periodic solutions of ordinary differential equations, which are given by A. Samoilenko.

photocatalytic degradation of fungicides (chlorothalonil) in suspension aqueous solution with semiconductors (tio­2, zno) and without semiconductor has been investigated. the influence of different parameters such as light sources, the concentration of fungicides, type of semiconductors and temperature were studied by uv-visible spectrophotometer at 232 and 254 nm. the degradation reaction order spectra of chlorothalonil were determined which first order at 232 nm and second order at 254 nm. in addition, the rate constant, arrhenius factor and energy of activation can be estimated for both peaks. moreover, conductivity of chlorothalonil has been recorded during the photo-degradation and the rate of reaction also has been determined that dependent on product formation.

In this paper we study the periodic solution of nonlinear system of differential equations depending on the gamma distribution by using the numerical analytic method to investigate periodic solutions of ordinary differential equation which given by Samoilenko A. M. .These investigations lead us to improving and extending this method. Also we expand the results gained by Samoilenko A. M. to change the periodic system of nonlinear differential equations to periodic system of nonlinear differential equations depending the on gamma distribution.

ABSTRACT In this study we investigate the existence and approximation of the periodic solutions for nonlinear system of differential equations of third order with boundary conditions. The numerical-analytic method has been used to study the periodic solutions of the ordinary differential equations that were introduced by Samoilenko. Also these investigation lead us to the improving and extending the above method and the results of Butris.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the existence, uniqueness, and stability solution to a non-linear system of integro-differential equations by using both methods Picard approximation and Banach fixed point theorem. The existence, uniqueness, and stability theorems are established under necessary and sufficient conditions of closed and bounded domain.

Investigating the heavy metals in soil is important to the life of humans and living organisms. Diyala River Lower Reaches was chosen due to the changes in environmental characteristics that took place in recent years. Twelve sediment samples were collected from four different sites. The physical, and chemical properties and the concentrations of nine heavy metals were indicated. The results showed that the average concentrations of arsenic, copper, chromium, cobalt, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc are 8.5, 45.7, 538.5, 12.2, 5.07, 991.7, 183.5, 16.07, 136.5 ppm, respectively. They reflect contamination with arsenic, chromium, and nickel, while they are free of lead, and zinc contamination, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) sediment quality guidelines. The measured contamination indices (the enrichment factor (EF), contamination factor (CF), degree of pollution (Cdeg), geographical accumulation index (Igeo), and pollution load index (PLI)), reflected high contamination factor for arsenic and chromium, and medium for manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc, while low for copper and cobalt. Based on all the results in all sampling sites indicate the presence of heavy element contamination in the sediments of the Diyala River Lower Reaches.

The purpose of this paper is to study the existence and uniqueness solution of new Volterra-Fredholm integrodifferential equation, by using Picard approximation method. Theorems on existence and uniqueness of solution are established under some necessary and sufficient conditions on closed and bounded domains (compact spaces). Also, these investigations lead us to the improving and extending the results of Faris and an extended the above methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein homeostasis (proteostasis) deficiency is an important contributing factor to neurological and metabolic diseases. However, how the proteostasis network orchestrates the folding and assembly of multi-subunit membrane proteins is poorly understood. Previous proteomics studies identified Hsp47 (Gene: SERPINH1), a heat shock protein in the endoplasmic reticulum lumen, as the most enriched interacting chaperone for gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors. Here, we show that Hsp47 enhances the functional surface expression of GABAA receptors in rat neurons and human HEK293T cells. Furthermore, molecular mechanism study demonstrates that Hsp47 acts after BiP (Gene: HSPA5) and preferentially binds the folded conformation of GABAA receptors without inducing the unfolded protein response in HEK293T cells. Therefore, Hsp47 promotes the subunit-subunit interaction, the receptor assembly process, and the anterograde trafficking of GABAA receptors. Overexpressing Hsp47 is sufficient to correct the surface expression and function of epilepsy-associated GABAA receptor variants in HEK293T cells. Hsp47 also promotes the surface trafficking of other Cys-loop receptors, including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and serotonin type 3 receptors in HEK293T cells. Therefore, in addition to its known function as a collagen chaperone, this work establishes that Hsp47 plays a critical and general role in the maturation of multi-subunit Cys-loop neuroreceptors.

This article presented some theorems on a novel non-linear multiple Integro-differential equations of boundary T-system. It has been studied the numerical-analytic method and Banach fixed point theorem for the existence and approximation of the solutions over considered boundary system in compact space. In this work, we demonstrate that the mention methods can be discussed and analyzed for the existence and uniqueness, of a solution for the vector system. The paper satisfies the Hölder condition.

In recent years scientific research has established that the nervous and immune systems have shared molecular signaling components. Proteins native to immune cells, which are also found in the brain, have neuronal functions in the nervous system where they affect synaptic plasticity, axonal regeneration, neurogenesis, and neurotransmission. Certain native immune molecules like major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I), paired immunoglobulin receptor B (PirB), toll-like receptor (TLR), cluster of differentiation-3 zeta (CD3ζ), CD4 co-receptor, and T-cell receptor beta (TCR-β) expression in neurons have been extensively documented. In this review, we provide our opinion and discussed the possible roles of T-cell receptor beta subunits in modulating the function of neurons in the central nervous system. Based on the previous findings of Syken and Shatz., 2003; Nishiyori et al., 2004; Rodriguez et., 1993 and Komal et., 2014; we discuss whether restrictive expression of TCR-β subunits in selected brain regions could be involved in the pathology of neurological disorders and whether their aberrant enhancement in expression may be considered as a suitable biomarker for aging or neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s disease (HD).

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the deproteinizing effect of bromelain enzyme and compare it with neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser and 10% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and polarized microscope. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 extracted human upper premolars were selected to be given standardized buccal and lingual class V cavities. The teeth were divided into three groups each one consisted of 20 teeth. Thirty teeth were recruited for SEM study and the other 30 for polarized microscope. Group 1: Teeth were deproteinized with Nd:YAG laser, Group 2: Teeth were deproteinized with bromelain enzyme and Group 3: Teeth were deproteinized with 10% NaOCl. Results and Conclusions: Application of bromelain enzyme has led to removing collagen network and significantly decreased the global leakage scores of the adhesive system.

There is a large sex difference in the prevalence of attention deficit disorder; yet, relatively little is known about sex differences in the development of prefrontal attention circuitry. In male rats, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors excite corticothalamic neurons in layer VI, which are thought to play an important role in attention by gating the sensitivity of thalamic neurons to incoming stimuli. These nicotinic currents in male rats are significantly larger during the first postnatal month when prefrontal circuitry is maturing. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether there are sex differences in the nicotinic currents in prefrontal layer VI neurons during development.Using whole cell recording in prefrontal brain slice, we examined the inward currents elicited by nicotinic stimulation in male and female rats and two strains of mice. We found a prominent sex difference in the currents during the first postnatal month when males had significantly greater nicotinic currents in layer VI neurons compared to females. These differences were apparent with three agonists: acetylcholine, carbachol, and nicotine. Furthermore, the developmental sex difference in nicotinic currents occurred despite male and female rodents displaying a similar pattern and proportion of layer VI neurons possessing a key nicotinic receptor subunit.This is the first illustration at a cellular level that prefrontal attention circuitry is differently affected by nicotinic receptor stimulation in males and females during development. This transient sex difference may help to define the cellular and circuit mechanisms that underlie vulnerability to attention deficit disorder.

The purpose of this paper is to study the existence and uniqueness solution of new Volterra-Fredholm integro- differential equation, by using Picard approximation method. Theorems on existence and uniqueness of solution are established under some necessary and sufficient conditions on closed and bounded domains (compact spaces). Also, these investigations lead us to the improving and extending the results of Faris and an extended the above methods.

Introduction: Recent researches have indicated that pregnancies with frozen embryo transfer are associated with the increment of risk of maternal and neonatal complications, especially hypertension during pregnancy. The present study aimed to compare the occurrence rate of gestational hypertension in pregnancy with frozen embryo transfer and normal pregnancy., Materials and Methods: This research, as a retrospective cross-sectional study, was performed on pregnant women with frozen embryo transfer ( n = 97) and women with normal pregnancies ( n = 164) referring to medical centers under the supervision of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences in 2021. Women aged 18-35 were included in the study after week 20 th of pregnancy. Maternal and neonatal outcomes including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia), preterm birth (before the week 37 th ), low birth weight (lower than 2500 g), neonatal asphyxia (Apgar score >7 in minute 5 th ), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy were evaluated. The association between frozen embryo transfer and pregnancy outcomes was evaluated using multiple logistic regressions., Results: The findings of this study indicated that pregnancy hypertension was observed in 23 people (23.7%) from the frozen embryo transfer group vs. 18 people (11.0%) from the normal pregnancy group ( P = 0.006). Frozen embryo transfer pregnancy has a higher risk of gestational hypertension (OR = 2.521, 95% CI: 1.281-4.962; P = 0.007), preterm birth (OR = 2.264, 95% CI: 1.335-3.840; P = 0.002), and low birth weight (OR = 2.017, 95% CI: 1.178-3.455; P = 0.011). However, the incidence of birth asphyxia ( P = 0.850), intrauterine growth restriction ( P = 0.068), first-trimester bleeding ( P = 0.809), and placenta accreta ( P = 0.143) did not show a significant difference between two types of normal pregnancy and frozen embryo transfer pregnancy., Conclusion: Frozen embryo transfer pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of maternal and neonatal complications, hypertension, preterm birth, and low birth weight compared to natural and spontaneous pregnancies., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

Aims: A mutation in the phospholamban (PLN) gene, leading to deletion of Arg14 (R14del), has been associated with malignant arrhythmias and ventricular dilation. Identifying pre-symptomatic carriers with vulnerable myocardium is crucial because arrhythmia can result in sudden cardiac death, especially in young adults with PLN-R14del mutation. This study aimed at assessing the efficiency and efficacy of in vivo genome editing, using CRISPR/Cas9 and a cardiotropic adeno-associated virus-9 (AAV9), in improving cardiac function in young adult mice expressing the human PLN-R14del., Methods and Results: Humanized mice were generated expressing human wild-type (hPLN-WT) or mutant (hPLN-R14del) PLN in the heterozygous state, mimicking human carriers. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at 12 weeks of age showed bi-ventricular dilation and increased stroke volume in mutant vs. WT mice, with no deficit in ejection fraction or cardiac output. Challenge of ex vivo hearts with isoproterenol and rapid pacing unmasked higher propensity for sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in hPLN-R14del relative to hPLN-WT. Specifically, the VT threshold was significantly reduced (20.3 ± 1.2 Hz in hPLN-R14del vs. 25.7 ± 1.3 Hz in WT, P < 0.01) reflecting higher arrhythmia burden. To inactivate the R14del allele, mice were tail-vein-injected with AAV9.CRISPR/Cas9/gRNA or AAV9 empty capsid (controls). CRISPR-Cas9 efficiency was evaluated by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction and NGS-based amplicon sequencing. In vivo gene editing significantly reduced end-diastolic and stroke volumes in hPLN-R14del CRISPR-treated mice compared to controls. Susceptibility to VT was also reduced, as the VT threshold was significantly increased relative to controls (30.9 ± 2.3 Hz vs. 21.3 ± 1.5 Hz; P < 0.01)., Conclusions: This study is the first to show that disruption of hPLN-R14del allele by AAV9-CRISPR/Cas9 improves cardiac function and reduces VT susceptibility in humanized PLN-R14del mice, offering preclinical evidence for translatable approaches to therapeutically suppress the arrhythmogenic phenotype in human patients with PLN-R14del disease., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: K.D.C. discloses his role as scientific co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of NovoHeart Ltd. NovoHeart did not play any role in the design or conduct of this study. E.G.K. is a scientific co-founder of Nanocor. Nanocor did not play any role in this study. The other authors declare that no conflicts of interest exist., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2022. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Bacterial pathogens employ a plethora of virulence factors for host invasion, and their use is tightly regulated to maximize infection efficiency and manage resources in a nutrient-limited environment. Here we show that during Escherichia coli stationary phase the 3' UTR-derived small non-coding RNA FimR2 regulates fimbrial and flagellar biosynthesis at the post-transcriptional level, leading to biofilm formation as the dominant mode of survival under conditions of nutrient depletion. FimR2 interacts with the translational regulator CsrA, antagonizing its functions and firmly tightening control over motility and biofilm formation. Generated through RNase E cleavage, FimR2 regulates stationary phase biology by fine-tuning target mRNA levels independently of the chaperones Hfq and ProQ. The Salmonella enterica orthologue of FimR2 induces effector protein secretion by the type III secretion system and stimulates infection, thus linking the sRNA to virulence. This work reveals the importance of bacterial sRNAs in modulating various aspects of bacterial physiology including stationary phase and virulence., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

The present study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of general and sinonasal symptoms in patients with olfactory symptoms and mild coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and determining the patterns in emergence and resolution of olfactory/gustatory symptoms relative to general and sinonassal symptoms. This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted at the outpatient otorhinolaryngology clinic at a COVID-19-designated referral Hospital. We included consecutive patients with new-onset olfactory dysfunction and positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay of COVID-19. We asked the patients to fill in a questionnaire about general and sinonasal symptoms in association with anosmia, hyposmia or hypogeusia, and recorded the time course of the olfactory/gustatory symptoms during 2-weeks of follow-up. 76 patients with average age of 38.5 ± 10.6 years were included. Majority of participants (94.7%) had general or sinonasal symptom. There was anosmia in 60.5% and hyposmia in 39.5%, with sudden onset of olfactory symptoms reported in 63.2% of patients. During the follow-up, 30.3% of patients completely and 44.7% partially recovered from anosmia/hyposmia. Regardless of whether the general or olfactory symptoms appeared initially, the general symptoms resolved first while a degree of olfactory dysfunction persisted during the follow-up. Our study showed that hyposmia and anosmia in mild COVID-19 are frequently associated with general and sinonasal symptoms and tend to persist longer than the general and sinonasal symptoms during the course of the disease., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2020.)

Background: Chronic cough, with a duration of coughing of more than 8 weeks in adults, affects 5-10% of the general population. One of the most common causes of chronic cough is cough-variant asthma, which accounts for approximately one-third of cases. This phenotype of asthma is characterized by extreme sensitivity of the neuronal pathways mediating cough to environmental irritants, which results in an urge to cough. This case is an example of cough-variant asthma presenting with allergic shiners due to her severe cough., Case Presentation: A 38-year-old Iranian woman, who was well before the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, presented with a nonproductive hacking cough that had begun after excessive use of antiseptic solutions. The only positive finding on physical examination was a reddish-purple rash on and around the eyelids mimicking a heliotrope rash, which had probably evolved due to the severity of the cough. The results of the pulmonary function test were within normal limits. Methacholine challenge test and chest x-ray were both normal. Chest high-resolution computed tomography revealed hyperinflation and tree-in-bud opacities. All other laboratory tests were normal. Because of the reversibility in her pulmonary function test, despite normal baseline parameters, asthma treatment was initiated, resulting in disappearance of the cough and the eye discoloration, being indicative of the correct diagnosis and proper treatment., Conclusion: Patients with cough-variant asthma may often have no other classic symptoms of asthma other than cough., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Metabolic stress is an important cause of pathological atrial remodeling and atrial fibrillation. AMPK is a ubiquitous master metabolic regulator, yet its biological function in the atria is poorly understood in both health and disease. We investigated the impact of atrium-selective cardiac AMPK deletion on electrophysiological and structural remodeling in mice. Loss of atrial AMPK expression caused atrial changes in electrophysiological properties and atrial ectopic activity prior to the onset of spontaneous atrial fibrillation. Concomitant transcriptional downregulation of connexins and atrial ion channel subunits manifested with delayed left atrial activation and repolarization. The early molecular and electrophysiological abnormalities preceded left atrial structural remodeling and interstitial fibrosis. AMPK inactivation induced downregulation of transcription factors (Mef2c and Pitx2c) linked to connexin and ion channel transcriptional reprogramming. Thus, AMPK plays an essential homeostatic role in atria, protecting against adverse remodeling potentially by regulating key transcription factors that control the expression of atrial ion channels and gap junction proteins.

Background: Arginine (Arg) 14 deletion (R14del) in the calcium regulatory protein phospholamban (hPLN R14del ) has been identified as a disease-causing mutation in patients with an inherited cardiomyopathy. Mechanisms underlying the early arrhythmogenic phenotype that predisposes carriers of this mutation to sudden death with no apparent structural remodeling remain unclear., Methods: To address this, we performed high spatiotemporal resolution optical mapping of intact hearts from adult knock-in mice harboring the human PLN WT (wildtype [WT], n=12) or the heterozygous human PLN R14del mutation (R14del, n=12) before and after ex vivo challenge with isoproterenol and rapid pacing., Results: Adverse electrophysiological remodeling was evident in the absence of significant structural or hemodynamic changes. R14del hearts exhibited increased arrhythmia susceptibility compared with wildtype. Underlying this susceptibility was preferential right ventricular action potential prolongation that was unresponsive to β-adrenergic stimulation. A steep repolarization gradient at the left ventricular/right ventricular interface provided the substrate for interventricular activation delays and ultimately local conduction block during rapid pacing. This was followed by the initiation of macroreentrant circuits supporting the onset of ventricular tachycardia. Once sustained, these circuits evolved into high-frequency rotors, which in their majority were pinned to the right ventricle. These rotors exhibited unique spatiotemporal dynamics that promoted their increased stability in R14del compared with wildtype hearts., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the crucial role of primary electric remodeling caused by the hPLN R14del mutation. These inherently arrhythmogenic features form the substrate for adrenergic-mediated VT at early stages of PLN R14del induced cardiomyopathy.

Almost two-thirds of the microbiome's biomass has been predicted to be in a non-proliferating, and thus dormant, growth state. It is assumed that dormancy goes hand in hand with global downregulation of gene expression. However, it remains largely unknown how bacteria manage to establish this resting phenotype at the molecular level. Recently small non-protein-coding RNAs (sRNAs or ncRNAs) have been suggested to be involved in establishing the non-proliferating state in bacteria. Here, we have deep sequenced the small transcriptome of Escherichia coli in the exponential and stationary phases and analyzed the resulting reads by a novel biocomputational pipeline STARPA (Stable RNA Processing Product Analyzer). Our analysis reveals over 12,000 small transcripts enriched during both growth stages. Differential expression analysis reveals distinct sRNAs enriched in the stationary phase that originate from various genomic regions, including transfer RNA (tRNA) fragments. Furthermore, expression profiling by Northern blot and RT-qPCR analyses confirms the growth phase-dependent expression of several enriched sRNAs. Our study adds to the existing repertoire of bacterial sRNAs and suggests a role for some of these small molecules in establishing and maintaining stationary phase as well as the bacterial stress response. Functional characterization of these detected sRNAs has the potential of unraveling novel regulatory networks central for stationary phase biology.

Background: Although osteoma is a common benign tumor of the paranasal sinuses, its orbital extension is not common. Secondary orbital cellulitis has rarely been reported in association with sino-orbital osteoma., Case: A 30-year-old woman presented with left side proptosis, orbital pain and inflammation. Orbital CT scan showed a well-defined giant osteoma in the superonasal part of the left orbit originating from the left ethmoidal sinus associated with opacity of the ipsilateral ethmoidal sinus and infiltration of orbital soft tissue. After treatment by systemic antibiotics, osteoma was resected with combined external and endoscopic surgery and the patient recovered uneventfully., Conclusion: Sino-orbital osteoma may manifest primarily as orbital cellulitis and needs early surgical intervention., (© 2020 The Authors. Cancer Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In rare cases the implantation or use of a port-a-cath can be complicated by venous perforation or catheter-related infection. We describe a patient with these two complications resulting in Staphylococcus aureus mediastinitis. Removal of the device and prolonged antibiotic therapy cured the infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Purpose: To present a 1-year-old boy with cyclic neutropenia who presented with multiple episodes of periorbital cellulitis (POC)., Methods: The child presented with three episodes of POC. In the second episode, the cellulitis was associated with nasolacrimal duct obstruction, and in the third episode, a pansinusitis was noted. He underwent a thorough systemic evaluation., Results: Patient's evaluation revealed the diagnosis of cyclic neutropenia., Conclusion: This report emphasizes the possibility of an underlying immunodeficiency with recurrent POC, even in an apparently healthy child., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Current Ophthalmology.)

Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common self-reported male sexual disorder estimated to occur in approximately 5% of men in the general community. Penile hypersensitivity is thought to be an etiologic factor of lifelong PE. The role of glans penis augmentation using injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) for the treatment of PE is debatable and remains to be confirmed. The creation of a barrier at the level of the glans, by the bulking agent blocking accessibility and inhibiting the tactile stimuli to reach the dorsal nerve of the penis (branch of the pudendal nerve) receptors, is the theory behind the effectiveness of HA in the field of PE. We reviewed the literature using PubMed and searched for the following keywords: premature ejaculation, glans penis and HA, over the last 20 years. Five studies were found. These studies showed that HA injection could significantly increase IELT (2.43- to 4.46-fold), and this increase could persist for long term (up to 5 years). No serious adverse reactions were reported besides transient discoloration and swelling of the glans that recovered to normal within 2 weeks. Many techniques were discussed, their effectiveness remains to be proved. However, proper patient selection and mastering the esthetics of the technique, by adequate surgical training, is necessary in order to achieve the optimal results., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tau-20-1026). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Translational Andrology and Urology. All rights reserved.)

Atrial structural remodelling including atrial hypertrophy and fibrosis is a key mediator of atrial fibrillation (AF). We previously demonstrated that the matricellular protein CCN5 elicits anti-fibrotic and anti-hypertrophic effects in left ventricles under pressure overload. We here determined the utility of CCN5 in ameliorating adverse atrial remodelling and arrhythmias in a murine model of angiotensin II (AngII) infusion. Advanced atrial structural remodelling was induced by AngII infusion in control mice and mice overexpressing CCN5 either through transgenesis (CCN5 Tg) or AAV9-mediated gene transfer (AAV9-CCN5). The mRNA levels of pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory genes were markedly up-regulated by AngII infusion, which was significantly normalized by CCN5 overexpression. In vitro studies in isolated atrial fibroblasts demonstrated a marked reduction in AngII-induced fibroblast trans-differentiation in CCN5-treated atria. Moreover, while AngII increased the expression of phosphorylated CaMKII and ryanodine receptor 2 levels in HL-1 cells, these molecular features of AF were prevented by CCN5. Electrophysiological studies in ex vivo perfused hearts revealed a blunted susceptibility of the AAV9-CCN5-treated hearts to rapid atrial pacing-induced arrhythmias and concomitant reversal in AngII-induced atrial action potential prolongation. These data demonstrate the utility of a gene transfer approach targeting CCN5 for reversal of adverse atrial structural and electrophysiological remodelling., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a gas-producing necrotizing bacterial infection that involves the renal parenchyma and perirenal tissue. It is a life-threatening condition that requires a high index of suspicion, an early diagnosis and an aggressive treatment. Rapid progression to septic shock may occur. We report, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of obstructive EPN caused by a giant fecaloma. The patient was successfully treated with percutaneous drainage and broad-spectrum antibiotics, in addition to fecaloma evacuation using fleet enemas and oral laxatives. This shows how fecal impaction, a common pathology in routine clinical practice, can cause some serious complications if left untreated, including extrinsic ureteral compression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Mikael Abi Abdallah et al.)

Background: STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1) is a calcium (Ca 2+ ) sensor that regulates cardiac hypertrophy by triggering store-operated Ca 2+ entry. Because STIM1 binding to phospholamban increases sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ load independent of store-operated Ca 2+ entry, we hypothesized that it controls electrophysiological function and arrhythmias in the adult heart., Methods: Inducible myocyte-restricted STIM1-KD (STIM1 knockdown) was achieved in adult mice using an αMHC (α-myosin heavy chain)-MerCreMer system. Mechanical and electrophysiological properties were examined using echocardiography in vivo and optical action potential (AP) mapping ex vivo in tamoxifen-induced STIM1 flox/flox -Cre tg /- (STIM1-KD) and littermate controls for STIM1 flox/flox (referred to as STIM1-Ctl) and for Cre tg/- without STIM deletion (referred to as Cre-Ctl)., Results: STIM1-KD mice (N=23) exhibited poor survival compared with STIM1-Ctl (N=22) and Cre-Ctl (N=11) with >50% mortality after only 8-days of cardiomyocyte-restricted STIM1-KD. STIM1-KD but not STIM1-Ctl or Cre-Ctl hearts exhibited a proclivity for arrhythmic behavior, ranging from frequent ectopy to pacing-induced ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF). Examination of the electrophysiological substrate revealed decreased conduction velocity and increased AP duration (APD) heterogeneity in STIM1-KD. These features, however, were comparable in VT/VF(+) and VT/VF(-) hearts. We also uncovered a marked increase in the magnitude of APD alternans during rapid pacing, and the emergence of a spatially discordant alternans profile in STIM1-KD hearts. Unlike conduction velocity slowing and APD heterogeneity, the magnitude of APD alternans was greater (by 80%, P <0.05) in VT/VF(+) versus VT/VF(-) STIM1-KD hearts. Detailed phase mapping during the initial beats of VT/VF identified one or more rotors that were localized along the nodal line separating out-of-phase alternans regions., Conclusions: In an adult murine model with inducible and myocyte-specific STIM1 depletion, we demonstrate for the first time the regulation of spatially discordant alternans by STIM1. Early mortality in STIM1-KD mice is likely related to enhanced susceptibility to VT/VF secondary to discordant APD alternans.