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GENCODE produces high quality gene and transcript annotation for the human and mouse genomes. All GENCODE annotation is supported by experimental data and serves as a reference for genome biology and clinical genomics. The GENCODE consortium generates targeted experimental data, develops bioinformatic tools and carries out analyses that, along with externally produced data and methods, support the identification and annotation of transcript structures and the determination of their function. Here, we present an update on the annotation of human and mouse genes, including developments in the tools, data, analyses and major collaborations which underpin this progress. For example, we report the creation of a set of non-canonical ORFs identified in GENCODE transcripts, the LRGASP collaboration to assess the use of long transcriptomic data to build transcript models, the progress in collaborations with RefSeq and UniProt to increase convergence in the annotation of human and mouse protein-coding genes, the propagation of GENCODE across the human pan-genome and the development of new tools to support annotation of regulatory features by GENCODE. Our annotation is accessible via Ensembl, the UCSC Genome Browser and https://www.gencodegenes.org., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

The present study aims to investigate the effect and the molecular mechanism of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenazinamine (NHP) isolated from Nocardiopsis exhalans against the proliferation of human lung cancer cells. The cytotoxic activity of NHP against A549 and H520 cells was determined using MTT assay. The cytotoxic activity of NHP against A549 and H520 lung cancer cells showed excellent activity at 75 μg/mL and damage the mitochondrial membrane and nucleus by generating oxidative stress. NHP causes nuclear condensation and induces apoptosis which was confirmed using AO/EB and PI/DAPI dual staining assay. Moreover, the NHP downregulates the oncogenic genes such as IL-8, TNFα, MMPs and BcL2 and also upregulates the expression of apoptosis marker genes such as Cyto C, p53, p21, caspase 9/3 in A549 and H520 human lung cancer cells. Considering the strong anticancer activity of NHP against lung cancer, NHP may be further evaluated as a potential anticancer drug for the treatment of lung cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Athletes with chronic ankle pain (CAP) are more inclined to suffer from physical and psychological pain depending on the severity of the injuries, which might trigger the powerless feeling on future sports participation. Therefore, an efficient and simple method is useful to integrate into conventional physiotherapy (CP) for maintaining mental wellness., Objective: This research aimed to verify the effects and progress of video-guided deep breathing (DB) integrated into CP through study on the changes of alpha waves and pain scale., Methods: Alpha waves were recorded using an electroencephalogram (EEG) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) to assess pain intensity before and after the intervention (6 weeks). Thirty CAP participants were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups: group A for video-guided DB integration into their CP and group B for CP. The effects of pre and post intervention were analyzed using a paired t-test with statistical significance set at p< 0.05., Results: Profound results from the research have shown that the participants who received both the DB+CP revealed a significant increase in alpha wave (p< 0.05) at occipital region., Conclusion: The significant result reveals an increase in alpha waves in the occipital region after 6 weeks and indicates that the video-guided DB with a smartphone application is able to produce a change in CAP participants. This supports the DB integration to the CP for altering the pain perception.

Left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) involves direct capture of left bundle fibers by placing the lead deep inside the interventricular septum. Several studies have shown the feasibility and efficacy of LBBP as an alternative modality for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). This paper describes approach for providing cost effective CRT with defibrillator (CRT-D) by LBBP and dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) which we label as LBBP optimized ICD (LOT-ICD). LBBP was performed using C315 sheath and 3830 Selectsecure lead in all patients by premature ventricular complex guided approach. In patients with complete correction of conduction system disease, IS-1 connector plug of the IS-1/DF-1 lead was capped and 3830 lead connected to the dual chamber ICD pulse-generator at RV-P/S port. LOT-ICD provided stable R-wave sensing for arrhythmia monitoring and resulted in cost-effective resynchronization therapy at reduced fluoroscopy duration and radiation dose., (© 2022 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Investigation of phytochemicals and bioactive molecules is tremendously vital for the applications of new plant resources in chemistry, food, and medicine. In this study, the chemical profiling of sap of Acer mono (SAM), a Korean syrup known for its anti-osteoporosis effect, was performed using UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS E analysis. A total of 23 compounds were identified based on the mass and fragmentation characteristics and most of the compounds have significant biomedical applications. The in vitro antioxidant assessment of SAM indicated excellent activity by scavenging DPPH and ABTS-free radicals and were found to be 23.35 mg mL -1 and 29.33 mg mL -1 , respectively, as IC 50 concentrations. As well, the in vitro proliferation effect of the SAM was assessed against mouse MC3T3-E1 cells, and the results showed that the SAM enhanced the proliferation of the cells, and 12.5 mg mL -1 and 25 mg mL -1 of SAM were selected for osteogenic differentiation. The morphological analysis clearly evidenced the SAM enhanced the osteogenic activity in MC3T3-E1 cells by the increased deposition of extracellular calcium and nodule formation. Moreover, the qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the increased expression of osteoblast marker gene expression including ALP, osteocalcin, osteopontin, collagen1α1, Runx2, and osterix in SAM-treated MC3T3-E1 cells. Together, these results suggest that SAM possesses osteogenic effects and can be used for bone regeneration and bone loss-associated diseases such as osteoporosis.

In the present study, the wurtzite (WZ) type of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized and functionalized with quercetin (ZnO@Quercetin) for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Initially, the chemical synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles was confirmed with DRS UV-vis spectroscopy and the bandgap of the ZnO revealed that the WZ type of nanoparticles. The electron microscopy analysis showed the hexagonal shape, monocrystalline nature of nanoparticles with an average size of 20-25 nm and the SAED pattern showed the interplanar planes for WZ type nanoparticles. XRD analysis revealed the presence of strong peaks corresponding to ZnO nanoparticles and the Raman spectroscopic analysis showed the characteristic peaks at E 2 (high) and E1 vibrational mode for WZ type of ZnO nanoparticles. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of ZnO@Quercetin nanoparticles showed the excellent activity by generating intercellular oxidative stress and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential against human ovarian cancer cells. The dual-staining assay showed that the ZnO@Quercetin induces late apoptosis through activation of the intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway in PA-1 cells. Together, the present study indicates the ZnO@Quercetin nanoparticles can be used for the treatment of human metastatic ovarian cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declared that there is no conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study examined soil, sediment and groundwater microbial communities for a set of key functional genes important for contaminant biodegradation. This involved PICRUSt2 (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States) predictions based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon datasets from three separate studies with different inocula and incubation conditions, as follows: aerobic soils, oxygen-limited microcosms containing sediments and groundwater, as well as methanogenic microcosms with different inocula. PICRUSt2 predicts functional profiles of microbial communities based on marker gene (16S rRNA gene) data. The relative abundances of genera previously associated with the biodegradation of chlorinated solvents/metabolites and/or 1,4-dioxane were also determined. Predicted values for each functional gene varied between the three datasets. In all, values were high for propane monooxygenase and low for soluble methane monooxygenase. Common phylotypes associated with propane monooxygenase in two of the three datasets included Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus and Pseudonocardia. Toluene monooxygenase predicted values were greater in the oxygen-limited microcosms compared to the other two datasets. The methanogenic microcosms exhibited the highest predicted values for particulate methane/ammonia monooxygenase. The most common genera detected, previously reported as chlorinated solvents/metabolites and/or 1,4-dioxane degraders, included Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Rhodococcus and Rhodanobacter. Eighteen of the queried genera were not detected. As expected, more potential anaerobic degrading genera were found in the oxygen-limited and methanogenic microcosms compared to the aerobic soils. The results provide key insights as to which genes and genera may be important for biodegradation over a range of inocula and redox conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To describe the feasibility and outcomes of filter-assisted shunt embolization in patients with acquired large portosystemic shunts., Methods: Two-center HIPAA compliant retrospective study of all patients who underwent filter-assisted shunt embolization between 03/2015-03/2021. Initial clinical evaluation, including demographic information, shunt sizing, and procedural details, was reviewed. Technical success was defined as successful occlusion of the targeted shunt., Results: Eight patients (55 ± 10 years/88% male) had a large acquired portosystemic shunt which was suitable for filter-assisted shunt embolization. Indications for the procedure: 3 = pre-transplantation optimization, 2 = overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE), 1 = post-transplant thrombosis, 1 = portal vein thrombosis and encephalopathy, 1 = encephalopathy and variceal bleeding. Portosystemic shunts occurred between splenic and renal veins, inferior mesenteric and gonadal veins, and coronary veins. Mean shunt diameter was 27 ± 5 mm. The technical success of the procedure was 8/8 (100%). In 7 patients, a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) was also placed at the time of the shunt embolization due to either pre-transplant indication or sluggish portal flow. There were no intraprocedural complications from filter placement., Outcomes: 3 = currently listed for transplant, 2 = resolution of HE, 1 = made CMO, 1 patient with patent post-transplant vasculature. 1 = died as a complication related to TIPS placement (SIR Class F Complication)., Conclusion: Filter-assisted shunt embolization is a technically feasible and safe technique to reduce or embolize large portosystemic shunts., (© 2022. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE).)

A series of novel nimbolide derivatives bearing various substitutions on 28th position was designed and synthesized using Sonogashira (2a-2p) and Glaser coupling (3a-3e) reactions. The synthesized derivatives were assessed for in vitro cytotoxic activity against four different human cancer cell lines (A549 cells, MCF-7 cells, MDA-MB-231 cells, and HCT15 cells) and normal cell line (HEK cells) using MTT assay. Among the screened derivatives, the compound 3a showed potent activity against A549 cells with IC 50 value of 0.23 μM as comparing with parent molecule 1 (1.48 μM) and the standard drug doxorubicin (0.82 μM). As well, the flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the compounds 1 and 3a arrest the cell cycle progress at S phase and induce the early apoptosis in the lung cancer. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the compounds 1 and 3a downregulate the BcL2 expression and upregulates the Bax gene expression level in A549 cells. The strong binding affinity of the compounds 1 and 3a with BcL2 was also confirmed using molecular docking analysis. Together, the results suggested that the compound 3a is a promising anticancer agent against lung cancer is deserved for further investigation., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Marine seaweeds are predominant for nutraceuticals and have been food source since ancient times and are currently being used in Chinese medicines and Japanese traditional medicines. In the present study, the chemical profile analysis of Halimeda gracilis was performed using UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS E analysis and assessed for its anticancer activity. A cursory investigation of the total ion chromatograms of the both methanol (MHG) and ethyl acetate (EAHG) of H. gracilis extracts reveals that both extracts have different kind of metabolites including phenols and its derivatives, diterpenes, cinnamic acids derivatives etc. The in vitro anticancer activity of EAHG and MHG exhibiting significant activity and induced apoptosis against skin cancer cells by generating excessive ROS, damaging the mitochondrial membrane and nuclear components. Further, the western blot analysis showed that the EAHG and MHG downregulates the oncoproteins PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, and BcL2 and upregulates the apoptotic proteins Bax, Cyto C, p21, p53, Caspase 9 and Caspase 3. To best of our knowledge, this is the first report which implies the UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS E based chemical profiling of H. gracilis and can be used for the treatment of cancer., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In an attempt to develop natural product-based anticancer agents, a series of novel piperazine-linked bergenin heterocyclic hybrids bearing arylthiazolyl (5a-e), benzothiazolyl (10a-i), and arylsulfonyl (13a-o) were synthesized using the classical Mannich reaction and evaluated for their anticancer activity. All the synthesized derivatives were assessed for in vitro cytotoxic activity against a panel of human cancer and normal cell lines and the results showed that most of the compounds exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against cancer cells and mild cytotoxicity against normal cells. In particular, the compounds 5a, 5c, 10f, and 13o showed potent cytotoxic activity against tongue and oral cancer cell lines compared to the parent compound (<100 μM). Considering the efficacy, the compounds 5a, 5c, 10f, and 13o were subjected to cell cycle analysis and the results indicated that the compounds mitigated the cell cycle progression at the G0/G1 phase in the tongue and oral cancer cell lines. Subsequently, the annexin V/PI staining assay demonstrated that the compounds 5a, 5c, 10f, and 13o induced early and late apoptosis against tongue cancer and necrosis against oral cancer. Further, gene expression analysis revealed that 5a, 5c, and 13o treatment regulated the BAX and BcL-2 expression and also the selected compounds significantly reduced the expression level of vimentin, oct-4, and nanog. In addition, molecular docking studies revealed that the selected derivatives have strong binding energy with the BcL2 protein and downregulates the expression. Taken together, the study results implied that these compounds are promising anticancer candidates by modulating the epithelial to mesenchymal transition axis and could be considered for further development of novel anticancer drugs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest to disclose., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The present study aimed to isolate and identify potential drugs from marine actinomycete Nocardiopsis exhalans and screen them for biomedical applications. The cell-free culture of N. exhalans was extracted with ethyl acetate and the solvent extract showed six fractions in thin-layer chromatography. The fractions were subjected to column chromatography for purification and evaluated for activity against human clinical pathogens. Fraction 4 showed significant activity and was identified as N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenazinamine (NHP) using spectral analyses. Further, NHP showed excellent biofilm inhibitory activity against human clinical pathogens Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Staphylococcus aureus . The in vitro antioxidant activity confirmed that NHP is scavenging the oxidative stress-enhancing molecules. The anti-proliferative activity of NHP against human breast cancer cells showed significant activity at 300 µg/ml and less cytotoxic activity against normal cells. Additionally, the toxicity assessment against zebrafish revealed that NHP does not cause any toxicity in the important organs. The results highlight N. exhalans as a promising candidate for the development of antibiotics with potential therapeutic applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer AK declared a shared affiliation with the authors RR and GA to the handling editor at the time of review., (Copyright © 2022 Ramalingam, Rajaram, Archunan, Padmanabhan and Gulyás.)

Introduction: Trans-radial approach (TRA) is recommended over trans-femoral approach (TFA) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We intended to study the effect of access on all-cause mortality., Methods and Results: We searched PubMed and EMBASE for randomized studies on patients with ACS undergoing PCI. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 30-days. The secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular event (MACE) as defined by the study, net adverse clinical event (NACE), non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, stent thrombosis, study-defined major bleeding, and minor bleeding, vascular complications, hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, non-access site bleeding, need for transfusion, access site cross-over, contrast volume, procedure duration, and hospital stay duration. We studied 20,122 ACS patients, including 10,037 and 10,085 patients undergoing trans-radial and trans-femoral approaches, respectively. We found mortality benefit in patients with ACS for the trans-radial approach [(1.7% vs. 2.3%; RR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.62-0.91; P = 0.004; I2 = 0%). Out of 10,465 patients with STEMI, 5,189 patients had TRA and 5,276 had TFA procedures. A similar benefit was observed in patients with STEMI alone [(2.3% vs. 3.3%; RR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.56-0.90; P = 0.004; I2 = 0%). We observed reduced MACE, NACE, major bleeding, vascular complications, and pseudoaneurysms. No difference in re-infarction, stroke, and serious bleeding requiring blood transfusions were noted. We noticed a small decrease in contrast volume(ml) {mean difference (95% CI): -4.6 [-8.5 to -0.7]}, small but significantly increase in procedural time {mean difference (95% CI) 1.2 [0.1 to 2.3]}and fluoroscopy time {mean difference (95% CI) 0.8 [0.3 to1.4] min} in the trans-radial group., Conclusion: TRA has significantly reduced 30-day all-cause mortality among patients undergoing PCI for ACS. TRA should be the preferred vascular access in patients with ACS., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Design and development of an efficient, nonprecious catalyst with structural features and functionality necessary for driving the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline medium remain a formidable challenge. At the root of the functional limitation is the inability to tune the active catalytic sites while overcoming the poor reaction kinetics observed under basic conditions. Herein, we report a facile approach to enable the selective design of an electrochemically efficient cobalt phosphide oxide composite catalyst on carbon cloth (CoP-Co x O y /CC), with good activity and durability toward HER in alkaline medium (η 10 = -43 mV). Theoretical studies revealed that the redistribution of electrons at laterally dispersed Co phosphide/oxide interfaces gives rise to a synergistic effect in the heterostructured composite, by which various Co oxide phases initiate the dissociation of the alkaline water molecule. Meanwhile, the highly active CoP further facilitates the adsorption-desorption process of water electrolysis, leading to extremely high HER activity.

The supramolecular photocycloaddition (PCA) of 3-(phenyl)acrylic acid has been extensively pursued by chemists to study weak interactions and synthesize substituted cyclobutanes. The stereo- and regioselectivity of the products in a supramolecularly affected reaction are often used as a probe for assessing the nature of weak interactions and/or molecular ambience of the reactants. However, some crucial aspects of this chemistry have often remained underexplored in the past, especially within the context of interpreting strength and directionality of interactions based on reaction outcomes. We present a detailed study of the cavitand-mediated PCA of a new and suitable reactant (3-(naphthyl)acrylic acids) that exhibits labile photo-reversible chemistry, which is suitable for exploring previously un-explored aspects of the supramolecular PCA chemistry. Our studies afford important insights about this chemistry that should be considered while using product selectivity as a proxy for deducing intermolecular interactions., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest There are no conflicts

Despite guidelines developed to standardize the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, significant variability remains in recommendations and practice. The purpose of this survey was to obtain information on practice patterns for the evaluation of overt lower GI bleeding (LGIB) and suspected small bowel bleeding. A 34-question electronic survey was sent to all Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR) members. Responses were received from 52 unique institutions (40 from the United States). Only 26 (50%) utilize LGIB management guidelines. 32 (62%) use CT angiography (CTA) for initial evaluation in unstable patients. In stable patients with suspected LGIB, CTA is the preferred initial exam at 21 (40%) versus colonoscopy at 24 (46%) institutions. CTA use increases after hours for both unstable (n = 32 vs. 35, 62% vs. 67%) and stable patients (n = 21 vs. 27, 40% vs 52%). CTA is required before conventional angiography for stable (n = 36, 69%) and unstable (n = 15, 29%) patients. 38 (73%) institutions obtain two post-contrast phases for CTA. 49 (94%) institutions perform CT enterography (CTE) for occult small bowel bleeding with capsule endoscopy (n = 26, 50%) and CTE (n = 21, 40%) being the initial test performed. 35 (67%) institutions perform multiphase CTE for occult small bowel bleeding. In summary, stable and unstable patients with overt lower GI are frequently imaged with CTA, while CTE is frequently performed for suspected occult small bowel bleeding., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Brainwaves studies on pain are gaining more attention in recent years. However, the target group in a similar study on collegiate athletes with musculoskeletal pain is still under explore., Objective: The objective is to investigate the differences of the brainwaves response and its association with pain interference of the collegiate athletes with and without musculoskeletal pain., Methods: Collegiate athletes (n= 49) were recruited and categorized into pain group (PG) (n= 25) and no-pain group (NPG) (n= 24). Brainwaves were recorded for 2 minutes with eyes closed in a resting state using EEG. Pain intensity and pain interference were documented using visual analogue scale and brief pain inventory, respectively. Independent t-test was used to compare brainwaves of PG and NPG, and Spearman's correlation was used to find the association between brain waves and pain interference., Results: Findings showed a significant decrease (p< 0.05) in brain waves in PG on left temporal regions as compared to NPG. Frontal beta, theta, and gamma waves were found to be negatively correlated with participants' pain interference., Conclusion: This outcome potentially contributes EEG as an alternative non-invasive tool for an objective pain assessment method in health care technology to aid in the rehabilitation process.

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.

Rationale: Interpreting the radiologic data in conjunction with an objective clinical score could help to harmonize idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis and improve accuracy. Objectives: We sought to establish and validate a multivariable objective scoring model based on clinical parameters by stratifying the risk of patients having IPF diagnosed versus having other forms of interstitial lung disease (ILD) diagnosis. Methods: A clinical score was derived from review of patients evaluated at the Inova Fairfax ILD Program and validated in three distinct cohorts. On the basis of known IPF clinical characteristics, a multivariable model was created and assessed by using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: There were 844 patients with ILD with either IPF ( n = 347, 41%) or non-IPF ILD ( n = 497, 59%) diagnosis. On the basis of calculated odds ratios, a score was assigned to each of the following clinical parameters: age, sex, smoking history, race or ethnicity, ILD family history, exposures, presence of connective tissue disease signs or symptoms, and velcro crackles. The final Fairfax IPF Clinical Score (FICS) ranged from 1 to 25. The clinical diagnostic score system was accurate in predicting IPF, as measured by the area under the curve (0.88) in the derivation cohort, with similar areas under the curve of 0.91, 0.81, and 0.71 being demonstrated in the respective validation cohorts. Conclusions: The FICS appears to be an accurate tool for estimating the pretest probability of IPF in patients with ILD. How the FICS performs in conjunction with the various high-resolution computed tomographic patterns remains to be determined. This model could ultimately be useful for increasing the degree of confidence in the final diagnosis and could help to obviate the need for lung biopsy in cases with non-usual interstitial pneumonia patterns on high-resolution computed tomographic images.

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common potentially life-threatening medical condition frequently requiring multidisciplinary collaboration to reach the proper diagnosis and guide management. GI bleeding can be overt (eg, visible hemorrhage such as hematemesis, hematochezia, or melena) or occult (eg, positive fecal occult blood test or iron deficiency anemia). Upper GI bleeding , which originates proximal to the ligament of Treitz, is more common than lower GI bleeding , which arises distal to the ligament of Treitz. Small bowel bleeding accounts for 5-10% of GI bleeding cases commonly manifesting as obscure GI bleeding, where the source remains unknown after complete GI tract endoscopic and imaging evaluation. CT can aid in identifying the location and cause of bleeding and is an important complementary tool to endoscopy, nuclear medicine, and angiography in evaluating patients with GI bleeding. For radiologists, interpreting CT scans in patients with GI bleeding can be challenging owing to the large number of images and the diverse potential causes of bleeding. The purpose of this pictorial review by the Society of Abdominal Radiology GI Bleeding Disease-Focused Panel is to provide a practical resource for radiologists interpreting GI bleeding CT studies that reviews the proper GI bleeding terminology, the most common causes of GI bleeding, key patient history and risk factors, the optimal CT imaging technique, and guidelines for case interpretation and illustrates many common causes of GI bleeding. A CT reporting template is included to help generate radiology reports that can add value to patient care. An invited commentary by Al Hawary is available online. Online supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2021.

In this present study, spherical shaped zinc ferrite (Zn/Fe 2 O 4 ) was prepared as uniformly sized (65 ± 0.5 nm) nanoparticles with band gap (2.00 eV) in a visible light regime and employed for the photocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ). The doping of Zn decreased the band gap (from 2.00 to 1.98 eV) and enhanced the absorption of visible light. Zinc doping also induced effective separation of photogenerated carriers and subsequent charge migration to the surface of the Zn/Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticle. On account of the advantages of the material, a high removal efficiency (~ 100%) of CBZ through photocatalytic degradation was achieved. Kinetics of CBZ degradation follows a pseudo first-order with the rate constant 0.0367 min -1 . In-vitro and in-vivo toxicity of the nanoparticles were examined promoting the environmental implications., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Coronary slow flow (SF) is an important complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) associated with poor prognosis. The aim was to assess grey-scale intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and virtual histology (VH-IVUS) characteristics of culprit lesion in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)., Methods: A total of 295 consecutive patients with STEMI underwent coronary angiogram and IVUS. Following PCI, patients divided into two groups; SF (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction [TIMI] flow  ≤ 2, n  = 74) and normal flow (NF) (TIMI flow >2, n  = 221). Coronary plaque burden and its composition in relation to SF were evaluated., Results: On grey-scale IVUS, the plaque area (12.3 mm 2 vs. 11.5 mm 2 , p  = .01), plaque volume (110.7 mm 3 vs. 99.8 mm 3 , p  < .001), lesion external elastic membrane (EEM) cross-sectional area (14.9 mm 2 vs. 14.0 mm 2 , p  = .011) and remodelling index (1.3 vs. 1.2, p  = .043) were significantly higher in SF group. On VH-IVUS, absolute fibrous volume (48.1 mm 3 vs. 41.5 mm 3 , p  ≤ .001), fibrofatty volume (23.8 mm 3 vs . 18.6 mm 3 , p  = .015), necrotic core volume (8.3 mm 3 vs. 5.5 mm 3 , p  < .001), dense calcium volume (1.2 mm 3 vs. 0.6 mm 3 , p  = .003) and thin cap fibroatheroma either single (30.1% vs. 16.1%, p  < .001) or multiple (9.6% vs. 1.8%, p  < .001) were higher in SF arm. In multivariable analysis, absolute necrotic core volume (odds ratio  =  1.159; 95% CI 1.030-1.305, p  = .015) was the only independent predictor of SF., Conclusions: Higher necrotic core volume as detected by VH-IVUS may be a potential risk factor for the development of coronary SF phenomenon in patients with STEMI after PCI.

Globally, humanity is facing its most significant challenge in 100 years due to the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which is responsible for COVID-19. Under the enormous pressure created by the pandemic, scientists are studying virus transmission mechanisms in order to develop effective mitigation strategies. However, no established methods have been developed to control the spread of this deadly virus. In addition, the ease in lockdown has escalated air pollution which may affect SARS-CoV-2 transmission through attachment to particulates. The present review summarizes the role of graphene nanomaterials, which show antimicrobial behavior and have antiviral efficacy, in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Graphene and its derivatives have excellent antimicrobial efficacy, providing both physical and chemical mechanisms of damage. Coupled with their lightness, optimal properties, and ease of functionalization, they are optimal nanomaterials for coating onto fabrics such as personal protection equipment, face masks and gloves to control the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 effectively. Biosensors using graphene can effectively detect the virus with high accuracy and sensitivity, providing rapid quantification. It is envisioned that the present work will boost the development of graphene-based highly sensitive, accurate and cost-effective diagnostic tools for efficiently monitoring and controlling the spread of COVID-19 and other air-borne viruses.

A simulated visible light-mediated iron oxide-titania (IoT) nanocomposite was employed to degrade the antibiotic norfloxacin (NFN) photocatalytically. The photocatalyst were prepared using a sol-gel method with controlled titania loadings to iron oxide by altering the fabrications step. The nanocomposites were structurally characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), field emission high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectra (DRS-UV) spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was observed that 100 mg/L of iron oxide doped titania loading at 1:4 (IoT-4) achieved the maximum photocatalytic activity in a 75 mg/100 mL of NFN solution within 60 min of the reaction time under visible light irradiation. The NFN degradation mechanism affirmed using HPLC-MS/MS analysis and the results confirmed the complete NFN degradation without residual intermediates. Significant, sustained recyclability was obtained by completely removing the contaminant up to 5 cycles with 90% degradation ability till nine cycles. Bacterial- and phytotoxicity data ascertain that the photocatalyzed and contaminant-free water is safe for the environment. The outstanding photocatalytic performance in removing organic pollutants indicates the potential application of IoT nanocomposites in real-time environmental remediation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study evaluates clinical and laboratory parameters, as well as extravasation and hematoma size on CTA as potential predictors of conventional angiogram (CA) results., Methods: This is a retrospective study of 380 adult patients presenting with pelvic trauma over a 9-year period. Of these patients, 91 were found to have active arterial extravasation on initial CTA. Statistical analysis between the two groups +CA versus -CA was performed to determine whether clinical and laboratory parameters, as well as extravasation size and hematoma size could predict CA results., Results: There were no significant differences in all clinical and laboratory data, including hemodynamic instability (defined as systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg) on presentation (22.2% vs. 21.4%), except for Glasgow Coma Scale (p = 0.015) when comparing the two groups. Extravasation size and hematoma size as continuous or categorical variables were not predictive of subsequent positive CA. Secondary analysis demonstrated no association between select parameters (i.e., hematocrit, systolic blood pressure, and lactate) and subsequent positive CA while controlling for extravasation size or hematoma size., Conclusion: Clinical and laboratory parameters in blunt pelvic trauma with arterial hemorrhage were not significantly associated with subsequent conventional angiography results, once accounting for degree of hemorrhage. The area of the foci of active extravasation and hematoma size in the axial plane were not significantly associated with the need for embolization. We conclude from these findings that catheter angiography should be considered in patients with blunt pelvic trauma found to have active arterial extravasation, regardless of size of bleed or the patient's clinical or laboratory values.

Background: Guidelines recommend the discontinuation of clopidogrel prior to gastrostomy tube placement. The aim of this study was to examine the safety and feasibility of performing radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) tube placement in patients taking clopidogrel and/or aspirin. Methods: We performed an institutional review board-approved retrospective analysis of the medical records for 237 consecutive patients following RIG tube placement secondary to dysphagia from August 2017 to January 2019. Antiplatelet medications and RIG type placement techniques (push vs pull) were compared with bleeding complications. Complications were categorized based on the Society of Interventional Radiology clinical practice guidelines. Of the 237 patients with RIG tubes placed, 77 patients were on antiplatelet therapy: 55 on single antiplatelet therapy and 22 on dual antiplatelet therapy. Of the 55 patients on single antiplatelet therapy, 26 were taking clopidogrel and 29 were taking aspirin. Results: A total of 9 bleeding complications were observed. The most common complication was minimal bleeding or hematoma around the incision site (n=7). No statistically significant increase was seen in bleeding rates when comparing patients on any antiplatelet therapy regimen vs none ( P =0.15), single antiplatelet therapy vs none ( P =0.13), clopidogrel vs none ( P =0.71), or dual antiplatelet therapy vs none ( P =0.61). No significant increase in the bleeding complication rate was noted when comparing the aspirin-only regimen vs clopidogrel alone ( P =0.34). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the risk of bleeding complications is not increased in patients taking clopidogrel and/or aspirin prior to RIG tube placement., (©2021 by the author(s); Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).)

Singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) is the excited state electronic isomer and a reactive form of molecular oxygen, which is most efficiently produced through the photosensitized excitation of ambient triplet oxygen. Photochemical singlet oxygen generation (SOG) has received tremendous attention historically, both for its practical application as well as for the fundamental aspects of its reactivity. Applications of singlet oxygen in medicine, wastewater treatment, microbial disinfection, and synthetic chemistry are the direct results of active past research into this reaction. Such advancements were achieved through design factors focused predominantly on the photosensitizer (PS), whose photoactivity is relegated to self-regulated structure and energetics in ground and excited states. However, the relatively new supramolecular approach of dictating molecular structure through non-bonding interactions has allowed photochemists to render otherwise inactive or less effective PSs as efficient 1 O 2 generators. This concise and first of its kind review aims to compile progress in SOG research achieved through supramolecular photochemistry in an effort to serve as a reference for future research in this direction. The aim of this review is to highlight the value in the supramolecular photochemistry approach to tapping the unexploited technological potential within this historic reaction.

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) approach is attractive as a promising route for the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) toward ammonia (NH 3 ) synthesis. However, the challenges in synergistic management of optical, electrical, and catalytic properties have limited the efficiency of PEC NRR devices. Herein, to enhance light-harvesting, carrier separation/transport, and the catalytic reactions, a concept of decoupling light-harvesting and electrocatalysis by employing a cascade n + np + -Si photocathode is implemented. Such a decoupling design not only abolishes the parasitic light blocking but also concurrently improves the optical and electrical properties of the n + np + -Si photocathode without compromising the efficiency. Experimental and density functional theory studies reveal that the porous architecture and N-vacancies promote N 2 adsorption of the Au/porous carbon nitride (PCN) catalyst. Impressively, an n + np + -Si photocathode integrating the Au/PCN catalyst exhibits an outstanding PEC NRR performance with maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 61.8% and NH 3 production yield of 13.8 µg h -1 cm -2 at -0.10 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which is the highest FE at low applied potential ever reported for the PEC NRR., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Increased levels of type I (T1) interferon (IFN)-inducible POP3 protein in myeloid cells inhibit activation of the AIM2 inflammasome and production of IL-1β and IL-18 proinflammatory cytokines. The AIM2 mRNA levels were significantly higher in benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) than the normal prostate. Further, human normal prostate epithelial cells (PrECs), upon becoming senescent, activated an inflammasome. Because in aging related BPH senescent PrECs accumulate, we investigated the role of POP3 and AIM2 proteins in pre-senescent and senescent PrECs. Here we report that the basal levels of the POP3 mRNA and protein were lower in senescent ( versus young or old) PrECs that exhibited activation of the T1 IFN response. Further, treatment of PrECs and a BPH cell line (BPH-1) that expresses the androgen receptor (AR) with the male sex hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) increased the basal levels of POP3 mRNA and protein, but not AIM2, and inhibited activation of the AIM2 inflammasome. Of interest, a stable knockdown of POP3 protein expression in the BPH-1 cell line increased cytosolic DNA-induced activation of AIM2 inflammasome. These observations suggest a potential role of POP3 protein in aging-related prostatic inflammation.

In the present study, we comparatively analyzed the transcriptomic profiling of fibroblasts derived from two different muscles, biceps femoris and longissimus dorsi with significant difference in the meat quality and tenderness. EBSeq algorithm was applied to analyze the data, and genes were considered to be significantly differentially expressed if the false discovery rate value was <0.05, the P value was <0.01, and the fold change was >0.585. The results revealed that 253 genes were differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (170 genes were upregulated, and 83 were downregulated) and more than 100 DEGs were probably associated with intramuscular fat deposition, tenderness, and toughness, which are driving the meat quality and were involved in biological processes such as collagen synthesis, cell differentiation, and muscle tissue and fiber development; molecular functions such as chemokine activity and collagen activity; cellular components such as cytoplasm and myofibril; and pathways such as collagen signaling and metabolic pathways. A gene-act network and a co-expression network revealed the close relationship between intramuscular fat deposition and meat tenderness. The expressions of 20 DEGs were validated by real-time PCR, and the results suggested that the DEGs are correlated with RNA-seq data and play crucial roles in muscle growth, development processes, toughness, and tenderness of the meat. Together, the genome-wide transcriptome analysis revealed that various genes are responsible for toughness and tenderness variance in the difference muscles of beef.

Animals possess an inborn ability to recognize certain odors to avoid predators, seek food, and find mates. Innate odor preference is thought to be genetically hardwired. Here we report that acquisition of innate odor recognition requires spontaneous neural activity and is influenced by sensory experience during early postnatal development. Genetic silencing of mouse olfactory sensory neurons during the critical period has little impact on odor sensitivity, discrimination, and recognition later in life. However, it abolishes innate odor preference and alters the patterns of activation in brain centers. Exposure to innately recognized odors during the critical period abolishes the associated valence in adulthood in an odor-specific manner. The changes are associated with broadened projection of olfactory sensory neurons and expression of axon guidance molecules. Thus, a delicate balance of neural activity is needed during the critical period in establishing innate odor preference and convergent axon input is required to encode innate odor valence., Competing Interests: QQ, YW, LM, WX, MH, VR, CY No competing interests declared, (© 2021, Qiu et al.)

Conclusion: The obtained results conclude piano players are highly prone to the risk of developing PRMSD in the upper body., Results: The findings showed piano players have a higher NDI, lower CVA, and RSP when compared with the non-piano players at a statistically significant level of p-value <0.05., Objective: Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMSD) are a common problem for the pianist. The poor upper body ergonomics influences the natural positioning of the neck and shoulders, which involves forward head posture (FHP) and rounded shoulder posture (RSP). This misaligned position could produce a sensation of pain over the upper body, which affects the piano player and computer users with similar ergonomic posture. Recently, photogrammetry methods are commonly applied in a clinical setting to assess posture. The goal of this research is to compare the upper body playing-related muscu-loskeletal disorders between the piano and the non-piano players by applying photogrammetry., Materials and Methods: This causal-comparative study includes 70 participants with 35 piano and 35 non-piano players. The participant's FHP was assessed using a digitized photo to record the Craniovertebral angle (CVA) with the support of Kinovea software. Besides, digital Vernier Calliper used to assess the scapular index on the RSP and Neck disability indices (NDI) used to measure neck pain and functional disability of the participants.

Reduced graphene oxide/cadmium sulfide (RGOCdS) nanocomposite synthesized through solvothermal process was used for methylparaben (MeP) degradation. The crystallinity of the nanocomposite was ascertained through X-ray diffraction. High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) results proved the absence of any free particle beyond the catalyst surface ensuring the composite nature of the prepared material. The enhancement in the activity on doping with RGO was substantiated by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS-UV). It is evident from the photocatalytic degradation experiments that RGOCdS is more efficient than pure CdS. Maximum MeP degradation (100%) was achieved after 90 min of irradiation with 750 mg/L RGOCdS dosage at an acidic pH of 3, for an initial MeP concentration of 30 mg/L. The degradation mechanism substantiated through HPLC-MS/MS analysis showed the complete degradation of MeP without any residual intermediaries. The catalyst could be sustained and reused for up to 9 cycles of usage. Phytotoxicity and mycotoxicity results evidently ascertain the environmental implications of the photocatalyst material., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Core promoter types differ in the extent to which RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pauses after initiation, but how this affects their tissue-specific gene expression characteristics is not well understood. While promoters with Pol II pausing elements are active throughout development, TATA promoters are highly active in differentiated tissues. We therefore used a genomics approach on late-stage Drosophila embryos to analyze the properties of promoter types. Using tissue-specific Pol II ChIP-seq, we found that paused promoters have high levels of paused Pol II throughout the embryo, even in tissues where the gene is not expressed, while TATA promoters only show Pol II occupancy when the gene is active. The promoter types are associated with different chromatin accessibility in ATAC-seq data and have different expression characteristics in single-cell RNA-seq data. The two promoter types may therefore be optimized for different properties: paused promoters show more consistent expression when active, while TATA promoters have lower background expression when inactive. We propose that tissue-specific genes have evolved to use two different strategies for their differential expression across tissues., (© 2021 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.)

Objective: Radiofrequency (RF) ablation for tachycardia in children poses challenges in view of slender veins and delicate cardiac structures in close proximity., Methods: We reviewed hospital records for patients below 18 years,who underwent RF ablation from August, 2001 to February, 2017 at a single hospital., Results: Among 214 patients (134 males, age12.5 (4.6) years), there were 221 tachycardia substrates: accessory pathways in 85 patients (39%), AV nodal re-entrant tachycardia in 79 patients (36%), ventricular tachycardia in 28 patients (13%) and atrial tachycardia in 21 patients (9.6%).The overall success rate of RF ablation was 95% (204/214). Success rate in those younger than 6 years was similar to those in older age groups. There were no major complication., Conclusions: RF ablation below 18 years of age has a high success rates and low complications.

Background: Not every patient achieves normal coronary flow following fibrinolysis in STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction). The culprit lesion plaque characteristics play a prominent role in the coronary flow before and during percutaneous coronary intervention. The main purpose was to determine the culprit lesion plaque features by virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) in patients with STEMI following fibrinolysis in relation to baseline coronary angiogram TIMI (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction) flow. Pre-intervention IVUS was undertaken in 61 patients with STEMI after successful fibrinolysis. After the coronary angiogram, they were separated into the TIMI1-2 flow group (n = 31) and TIMI 3 flow group (n = 30). Culprit lesion plaque composition was evaluated by VH-IVUS., Results: On gray-scale IVUS, the lesion external elastic membrane cross-sectional area (EEM CSA) was significantly higher in the TIMI 1-2 groups as compared to the TIMI 3 group (15.71 ± 3.73 mm 2 vs 13.91 ± 2.94 mm 2 , p = 0.041) with no significant difference in plaque burden (82.42% vs. 81.65%, p = 0.306) and plaque volume (108.3 mm 3 vs. 94.3 mm 3 , p = 0.194). On VH-IVUS, at the minimal luminal area site (MLS), the fibrous area (5.83 mm 2 vs. 4.37 mm 2 , p = 0.024), necrotic core (NC) area (0.95 mm 2 vs. 0.59 mm 2 , p < 0.001), and NC percentage (11% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.024) were higher in the TIMI 1-2 groups in contrast to the TIMI 3 group. The absolute necrotic core (NC) volume (8.3 mm 3 vs. 3.65 mm 3 , p < 0.001) and NC percentage (9.3% vs. 6.0%, p = 0.007) were significantly higher in the TIMI 1-2 groups as compared to the TIMI 3 group. Absolute dense calcium (DC) volume was higher in TIMI 1-2 groups with a trend towards significance (1.0 mm 3 vs.0.75 mm 3 , p = 0.051). In multivariate analysis, absolute NC volume was the only independent predictor of TIMI 1-2 flow (odds ratio = 1.561; 95% CI 1.202-2.026, p = 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed absolute NC volume has best diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.816, p < 0.001) to predict TIMI 1-2 flow with an optimal cutoff value of 4.5 mm 3 with sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 61%, respectively., Conclusions: This study exemplifies that the necrotic core component of the culprit lesion plaque in STEMI is associated with the coronary flow after fibrinolysis. The absolute necrotic core volume is a key determinant of flow restoration post-fibrinolysis and aids in prognostication of less than TIMI 3 flow.

In the present study, the titanium decorated iron oxide (Ti@Fe 2 O 3 ) nanocomposites are synthesized using the chemical method. The as-prepared nanocomposite was characterized for successful formulation and the elemental spectra showed the composition of Fe (44%), Ti (0.71%) and O (55%) is confirmed the homogenous distribution. Crystallographic spectra depict the strong peaks corresponding to the of TiO 2 and Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles planes with minor shift variation due to the formulation of Ti on the surface of Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles and it is also confirmed with SAED analysis. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of Ti@Fe 2 O 3 ) nanocomposite confirms the existence of elements such as Fe, O and Ti. Further, the morphology of the composite showed the well-defined encapsulation and aggregation of TiO 2 nanoparticles on the surface of Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles. Further, the TiO 2 nanoparticles showed less cytotoxic activity against bovine satellite cells, as well the nanocomposite increased the growth of bovine satellite cells comparing with control cells. Further, the morphological analysis showed the significant changes in TiO 2 nanoparticles treated cells and the nanocomposite induces the myotube formation due to the increased ROS level in bovine satellite cells. Moreover, the nanocomposite regulates the expression of genes IGF-1, TGF-β, MSTN, CASP3, CASP2 and proteins such as CALP1, CALP2, MyoD, MyoG which are responsible for the growth, proliferation, and differentiation of satellite cells. Together, the prepared Ti@Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposites afford additional support for the applications of nanomaterials in skeletal muscle repair and tissue regeneration engineering., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this report, the site-specific co-delivery of green tea/aluminium magnesium silicate (AMS) was reported and the specific target delivery was achieved orally. The new co-precipitation process was developed to synthesis the green tea/AMS hybrid complex and using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman confirmed its successful synthesis. The blood biocompatibility of the green tea/AMS was tested using chicken blood, and the compound is safe up to 500 mg/ml. After mixed with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate, the oral beads were synthesised using a linking agent. The oral beads underwent different pH-based dissolution studies and the results indicated that the beads specifically dissolved in gastric pH (6.5). The pharmaco kinetic studies were performed to estimate the delivery kinetics. The results revealed that the beads underwent as per the Higuchi model. The anticoccidial effects of the beads were tested using chicken. The animal studies were performed in two different modes such as prophylactic treatment and active treatment after Eimeria species challenge. The results indicated that the prophylactic treatment with beads 100% protected the chicken and the active treatment with beads after the Eimeria challenge significantly protected against the intestinal damage and it also enhanced the anticoccidial effect.

Septal correction is the commonest surgery by rhinologists worldwide. We aimed at studying the comfort level of the patient with standard postoperative nasal packing with Merocel and placing quilting sutures in septum leaving the nose unpacked in the postoperative period. We conducted the study in the tertiary care centre enrolling 82 patients in a quasi-randomised method of odd and even numbers placing them in the nasal packing group and the quilting group respectively. We used analogue scoring method for subjective assessment of comfort level in the postoperative period and the surgeon objectively assessed the patient on follow up. The results were tabulated and analysed. Postoperative pain, headache and sleep disturbance was significantly more in the nasal packing group. We found that the crusting is commonly seen in patients in the nasal packing group. Quilting the nasal septum and leaving the nasal cavity unpacked increases the comfort level of the patient in the postoperative period. The resultant pain, headache and sleep disturbance caused by nasal packing can be significantly avoided by using quilting the septum without nasal packing. We also observed that by avoiding nasal packing postoperatively, the patients were more comfortable and compliant with the treatment regimen and follow-up., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organisation or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2019.)

1,4-Dioxane, a probable human carcinogen, is a co-contaminant at many chlorinated solvent-contaminated sites. Although numerous 1,4-dioxane-degrading aerobic bacteria have been isolated, almost no information exists on the microorganisms able to degrade this chemical under anaerobic conditions. Here, the potential for 1,4-dioxane biodegradation was examined using multiple inocula and electron acceptor amendments. The inocula included uncontaminated agricultural soils and river sediments as well as sediments from two 1,4-dioxane contaminated sites. Five separate experiments involved the examination of triplicate live microcosms and abiotic controls for approximately 1 year. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) was used to further investigate biodegradation in a subset of the microcosms. Also, DNA was extracted from microcosms exhibiting 1,4-dioxane biodegradation for microbial community analysis using 16S rRNA gene amplicon high-throughput sequencing. Given the long incubation periods, it is likely that electron acceptor depletion occurred and methanogenic conditions eventually dominated. The iron/EDTA/humic acid or sulfate amendments did not result in 1,4-dioxane biodegradation in the majority of cases. 1,4-dioxane biodegradation was most commonly observed in the nitrate amended and no electron acceptor treatments. Notably, both contaminated site sediments illustrated removal in the samples compared to the abiotic controls in the no electron acceptor treatment. However, it is important to note that the degradation was slow (with concentration reductions occurring over approximately 1 year). In two of the three cases examined, CSIA provided additional evidence for 1,4-dioxane biodegradation. In one case, the reduction in 1,4-dioxane in the samples comparing the controls was likely too low for the method to detect a significant 13 C/ 12 C enrichment. Further research is required to determine the value of measuring 2 H/ 1 H for generating evidence for the biodegradation of this chemical. The microbial community analysis indicated that the phylotypes unclassified Comamonadaceae and 3 genus incertae sedis were more abundant in 1,4-dioxane-degrading microcosms compared to the live controls (no 1,4-dioxane) in microcosms inoculated with contaminated and uncontaminated sediment, respectively. The relative abundance of known 1,4-dioxane degraders was also investigated at the genus level. The soil microcosms were dominated primarily by Rhodanobacter with lower relative abundance values for Pseudomonas, Mycobacterium, and Acinetobacter. The sediment communities were dominated by Pseudomonas and Rhodanobacter. Overall, the current study indicates 1,4-dioxane biodegradation under anaerobic and, likely methanogenic conditions, is feasible. Therefore, natural attenuation may be an appropriate cleanup technology at sites where time is not a limitation.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide, and researchers are working to discover effective treatments to eradicate breast cancer. In the present study, we prepared PVP-functionalized palladium nanoparticles (PVP-PdNPs) for the treatment of human breast cancer MCF7 cells. Initially, the PVP-functionalized PdNPs were synthesized by an in situ method and confirmed with DRS-UV spectrometric analysis. Further, FTIR and Raman spectroscopic analyses showed the association of PVP with PdNPs by showing the vibrational mode of the PdNPs and C[double bond, length as m-dash]O stretch and CH 2 band modes of PVP. Microscopic analysis showed that the PVP-PdNPs have a narrow size distribution with spherical shapes and a size range between 9 and 15 nm. The SAED and XRD patterns confirmed that the crystalline structure is face-centered cubic in nature, and EDAX mapping confirmed the formulation of PVP on the surface of the PdNPs. Further, in vitro MTT assay analysis showed that the PVP-PdNPs exhibit excellent cytotoxic activity against human breast cancer MCF7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The PVP-PdNPs generate continuous ROS in the mitochondria; this leads to the damage of the mitochondrial membrane potential and nuclear DNA and induces apoptosis through caspase3/7 enzymatic activity. Together, the PVP-PdNPs are a promising potential anticancer agent against human breast cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the measured size of active gastrointestinal hemorrhage was useful in predicting subsequent positive findings at catheter angiography., Materials and Methods: This was a single-institution retrospective study consisting of 32 patients with computed tomography angiography (CTA) positive for gastrointestinal bleeding who went on to receive catheter angiography. Each CTA was reviewed, with axial measurements of the anterior-posterior and transverse dimensions of the largest foci of hemorrhage recorded. Volumetric analysis was used to measure the volume of hemorrhage. These measurements were performed for both the arterial and portal venous phases. Additionally, the interval growth between the arterial and portal venous phase was also calculated., Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the absolute size of the maximum transverse dimension on portal venous phase imaging (mean = 19.8 mm, p < 0.001), as well as an interval increase in transverse (mean = 8.5 mm, p < 0.001) and anteriorposterior (mean = 5.4 mm, p = 0.027) size between arterial and portal venous phases in patients with positive catheter angiography versus negative catheter angiography. There was a statistically significant difference in the volume of hemorrhage on arterial (mean = 1.72 cm 3 , p = 0.020) and portal venous phases (mean = 5.89 cm 3 , p = 0.016), as well as an interval change in the size of hemorrhage between the two phases (mean = 4.17 cm 3 , p = 0.020) in patients with positive catheter angiography versus patients in the negative catheter angiography group., Conclusions: The absolute axial size and volume of hemorrhage, as well as the interval change between the arterial and portal venous phases of CTA imaging is predictive of subsequent positive catheter angiography.

1,4-Dioxane, a co-contaminant at many chlorinated solvent sites, is a problematic groundwater pollutant because of risks to human health and characteristics which make remediation challenging. In situ 1,4-dioxane bioremediation has recently been shown to be an effective remediation strategy. However, the presence/abundance of 1,4-dioxane degrading species across different environmental samples is generally unknown. Here, the objectives were to identify which 1,4-dioxane degrading functional genes are present and which genera may be using 1,4-dioxane and/or metabolites to support growth across different microbial communities. For this, laboratory sample microcosms and abiotic control microcosms (containing media) were inoculated with four uncontaminated soils and sediments from two contaminated sites. Live control microcosms were treated in the same manner, except 1,4-dioxane was not added. 1,4-Dioxane decreased in live microcosms with all six inocula, but not in the abiotic controls, suggesting biodegradation occurred. A comparison of live sample microcosms and live controls (no 1,4-dioxane) indicated nineteen genera were enriched following exposure to 1,4-dioxane, suggesting a growth benefit for 1,4-dioxane biodegradation. The three most enriched were Mycobacterium, Nocardioides, and Kribbella (classifying as Actinomycetales). There was also a higher level of enrichment for Arthrobacter, Nocardia, and Gordonia (all three classifying as Actinomycetales) in one soil, Hyphomicrobium (Rhizobiales) in another soil, Clavibacter (Actinomycetales) and Bartonella (Rhizobiales) in another soil, and Chelativorans (Rhizobiales) in another soil. Although Arthrobacter, Mycobacterium, and Nocardia have previously been linked to 1,4-dioxane degradation, Nocardioides, Gordonia, and Kribbella are potentially novel degraders. The analysis of the functional genes associated with 1,4-dioxane demonstrated three genes were present at higher relative abundance values, including Rhodococcus sp. RR1 prmA, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 prmA, and Burkholderia cepacia G4 tomA3. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the identity of the multiple genera and functional genes associated with aerobic degradation of 1,4-dioxane in mixed communities.

Purpose: To compare CT angiography (CTA) and tagged red blood cell (RBC) scan as a function of time from these initial imaging studies to subsequent conventional angiography and catheter-directed embolization in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding., Methods: An IRB-approved retrospective study was conducted of 35 consecutive patients diagnosed with GI bleeding that received angiography for planned catheter-directed embolization. Of these patients, 20 were diagnosed with bleeding using a tagged RBC scan, whereas 15 were diagnosed using CTA. The lengths of time between diagnostic study order to study completion, diagnostic study completion to angiography, and total time from diagnostic study order to angiography were calculated. The results of both groups were compared using a t test with p value of < 0.05 considered statistically significant., Results: The mean time from diagnostic study order to study completion was 3 h and 4 min for the CTA group and 5 h and 1 min for the tagged RBC scan group (p value = 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference between the time to angiography after completion of the preceding diagnostic study. The total mean time from diagnostic study order to intervention was 6 h and 8 min for the CTA group and 9 h and 29 min for the tagged RBC scan group, a statistically significant difference (p value = 0.028)., Conclusions: In patients requiring conventional angiography for GI bleeding, CT angiography results in a faster time to angiography than tagged RBC scan, which appears to be due to the longer duration required to complete the tagged RBC scan. Decreasing time to angiography is vital, as GI bleeding can be fatal and earlier diagnosis and intervention has the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality, while also increasing sensitivity of angiography. These findings may assist ordering clinicians in deciding on the appropriate diagnostic study.

Background and Aims: Chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the central diagnostic tool in discerning idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) from other interstitial lung disease (ILDs). In 2018, new guidelines were published and the nomenclature for HRCT interpretation was changed. We sought to evaluate how clinicians' interpretation would change based on reading HRCTs under the framework of the old versus new categorization., Materials and Methods: We collated HRCTs from 50 random cases evaluated in the Inova Fairfax ILD clinic. Six ILD experts were provided the deidentified HRCTs. They were all instructed to independently provide two reads of each HRCT, based on the old and the new guidelines., Results: The kappa statistic for concordance for HRCT reads under old guidelines was 0.5, while for the new guidelines it was 0.38. Under the framework of the old guidelines, there were 22 HRCTs with unanimous consensus reads, while only 15 with the new guidelines. There were 12 HRCTs read unanimously as usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern based on both the old and the new guidelines. Ten HRCTs were read as a possible UIP pattern based on the old guidelines and were classified in nine cases as probable UIP and one indeterminate based on the new guidelines. Of the 28 inconsistent UIP HRCTs (old guidelines), 25 were read as alternative diagnosis suggested, two were read as indeterminate and one as probable UIP., Conclusion: Implementation of the new guidelines to categorize HRCTs in ILD patients appears to be associated with greater inter-interpreter variability. How or whether new guidelines improve the care and management of ILD patients remains unclear. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.