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Abstract Ultrasound technology can provide high-resolution imaging of blood flow following spinal cord injury (SCI). Blood flow imaging may improve critical care management of SCI, yet its duration is limited clinically by the amount of contrast agent injection required for high-resolution, continuous monitoring. In this study, we aim to establish non-contrast ultrasound as a clinically translatable imaging technique for spinal cord blood flow via comparison to contrast-based methods and by measuring the spatial distribution of blood flow after SCI. A rodent model of contusion SCI at the T12 spinal level was carried out using three different impact forces. We compared images of spinal cord blood flow taken using both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Subsequently, we processed the images as a function of distance from injury, yielding the distribution of blood flow through space after SCI, and found the following. (1) Both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced imaging methods resulted in similar blood flow distributions (Spearman’s ρ = 0.55, p

BackgroundTreatment options for poorly differentiated (PDTC) and anaplastic (ATC) thyroid carcinoma are unsatisfactory and prognosis is generally poor. Lenvatinib (LEN), a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR) 1-4 is approved for advanced radioiodine refractory thyroid carcinoma, but response to single agent is poor in ATC. Recent reports of combining LEN with PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (PEM) are promising.Materials and MethodsPrimary ATC (n=93) and PDTC (n=47) tissue samples diagnosed 1997-2019 at five German tertiary care centers were assessed for PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry using Tumor Proportion Score (TPS). FGFR 1-4 mRNA was quantified in 31 ATC and 14 PDTC with RNAscope in-situ hybridization. Normal thyroid tissue (NT) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) served as controls. Disease specific survival (DSS) was the primary outcome variable.ResultsPD-L1 TPS≥50% was observed in 42% of ATC and 26% of PDTC specimens. Mean PD-L1 expression was significantly higher in ATC (TPS 30%) than in PDTC (5%; p

For surgeons and clinicians, nonobstetric surgery during pregnancy has certain difficulties and considerations. In order to aid in decision-making in these situations, this manuscript offers a thorough review of the guidelines currently in place from renowned obstetric and surgical societies, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, and others. Using AGREE II-S methodology, a comprehensive analysis of guidelines reveals differences in recommendations for anesthetics, surgical procedures, imaging modalities, and thromboembolic prophylaxis. Furthermore, a thorough discussion of strategic surgical planning is provided, covering aspects such as patient positioning, trocar placement, pneumoperitoneum generation, and thromboembolic risk management. The publication highlights that in order to maximize the results for both the mother and the fetus after nonobstetric surgery performed during pregnancy, a multidisciplinary approach and evidence-based decision-making are essential., (© 2024 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Starting from indomethacin (IND), one of the most prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), new nitric oxide-releasing indomethacin derivatives with 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol scaffold (NO-IND-OXDs, 8a-p ) have been developed as a safer and more efficient multitarget therapeutic strategy. The successful synthesis of designed compounds (intermediaries and finals) was proved by complete spectroscopic analyses. In order to study the in silico interaction of NO-IND-OXDs with cyclooxygenase isoenzymes, a molecular docking study, using AutoDock 4.2.6 software, was performed. Moreover, their biological characterization, based on in vitro assays, in terms of thermal denaturation of serum proteins, antioxidant effects and the NO releasing capacity, was also performed. Based on docking results, 8k, 8l and 8m proved to be the best interaction for the COX-2 (cyclooxygense-2) target site, with an improved docking score compared with celecoxib. Referring to the thermal denaturation of serum proteins and antioxidant effects, all the tested compounds were more active than IND and aspirin, used as references. In addition, the compounds 8c , 8h , 8i , 8m , 8n and 8o showed increased capacity to release NO, which means they are safer in terms of gastrointestinal side effects.

In the past many research studies have focused on the thiazolidine-4-one scaffold, due to the important biological effects associated with its heterocycle. This scaffold is present in the structure of many synthetic compounds, which showed significant biological effects such as antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidiabetic effects. It was also identified in natural compounds, such as actithiazic acid, isolated from Streptomyces strains. Starting from this scaffold new xanthine derivatives have been synthetized and evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal effects. The antibacterial action was investigated against Gram positive ( Staphyloccoccus aureus ATCC 25923, Sarcina lutea ATCC 9341) and Gram negative ( Escherichia coli ATCC 25922) bacterial strains. The antifungal potential was investigated against Candida spp. ( Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Candida glabrata ATCC MYA 2950, Candida parapsilosis ATCC 22019). In order to improve the antimicrobial activity, the most active xanthine derivatives with thiazolidine-4-one scaffold (XTDs: 6c, 6e, 6f, 6k) were included in a chitosan based polymeric matrix (CS). The developed polymeric systems (CS-XTDs) were characterized in terms of morphological (aspect, particle size), physic-chemical properties (swelling degree), antibacterial and antifungal activities, toxicity, and biological functions (bioactive compounds loading, entrapment efficiency). The presence of xanthine-thiazolidine-4-one derivatives into the chitosan matrix was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis. The size of developed polymeric systems, CS-XTDs, ranged between 614 µm and 855 µm, in a dry state. The XTDs were encapsulated into the chitosan matrix with very good loading efficiency, the highest entrapment efficiency being recorded for CS-6k, which ranged between 87.86 ± 1.25% and 93.91 ± 1.41%, depending of the concentration of 6k. The CS-XTDs systems showed an improved antimicrobial effect with respect to the corresponding XTDs. Good results were obtained for CS-6f, for which the effects on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (21.2 ± 0.43 mm) and Sarcina lutea ATCC 9341 (25.1 ± 0.28 mm) were comparable with those of ciprofloxacin (25.1 ± 0.08 mm/25.0 ± 0.1 mm), which were used as the control. The CS-6f showed a notable antifungal effect, especially on Candida parapsilosis ATCC 22019 (18.4 ± 0.42 mm), the effect being comparable to those of nystatin (20.1 ± 0.09 mm), used as the control. Based on the obtained results these polymeric systems, consisting of thiazolidine-4-one derivatives loaded with chitosan microparticles, could have important applications in the food field as multifunctional (antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant) packaging materials.