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Purpose To evaluate the effect of an educational video on parental perceptions of the shared decision-making (SDM) process in the setting of initial consultation for undescended testis (UDT).Methods Randomized control study of patients aged 0–18 years old and their parents presenting to the urology clinic for evaluation of UDT. The shared decision-making questionnaire (SDMQ9) was used to measure parental perception of SDM in the intervention and control groups. Parents in the intervention group viewed an educational video on UDT prior to their visit.Results 258 patients were included in the study; 144 were assigned to the control group and 114 were assigned to the intervention group. Mean scores on the SDMQ9 were not statistically different between the groups (91.9 vs 85.6, p = 0.077). Responses were significantly improved in one individual question in the intervention group: “My doctor and I thoroughly weighed the different treatment options” (p = 0.041).Conclusion The use of an educational video did not increase overall perception of the SDM process but did improve perception in a single aspect of the process. Our findings suggest that decision aids may be less useful in improving the SDM process in this setting, although further research is needed to optimize these interventions.

Purpose: With the expansion of research utilizing electronic healthcare data to identify transgender (TG) population health trends, the validity of computational phenotype algorithms to identify TG patients is not well understood. We aim to identify the current state of the literature that has utilized CPs to identify TG people within electronic healthcare data and their validity, potential gaps, and a synthesis of future recommendations based on past studies. Methods: Authors searched the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed, Scopus, and the American Psychological Association Psyc Info’s databases to identify studies published in the United States that applied CPs to identify TG people within electronic health care data. Results: Twelve studies were able to validate or enhance the positive predictive value (PPV) of their CP through manual chart reviews (n=5), hierarchy of code mechanisms (n=4), key text-strings (n=2), or self-surveys (n=1). CPs with the highest PPV to identify TG patients within their study population contained diagnosis codes and other components such as key text-strings. However, if key text-strings were not available, researchers have been able to find most TG patients within their electronic healthcare databases through diagnosis codes alone. Conclusion: CPs with the highest accuracy to identify TG patients contained diagnosis codes along with components such as procedural codes or key text-strings. CPs with high validity are essential to identifying TG patients when self-reported gender identity is not available. Still, self-reported gender identity information should be collected within electronic healthcare data as it is the gold standard method to better understand TG population health patterns.

Mechanisms of growth and dissociation, growth rates, and morphology of gas hydrates of methane, carbon dioxide, and two CH4:CO2 mixtures (80:20 and 30:70 nominal concentration) were studied using using high resolution images and very precise temperature control. Subcooling and a recently proposed mass transfer-based driving force were used to analyze the results. When crystal growth rates did not exceed 0.01 mm/s, all systems showed faceted, euhedral crystal habits at low driving forces. At higher driving forces and growth rates, morphologies were different for all systems. These results solve apparent contradictions in literature about the morphology of hydrates of methane, carbon dioxide, and their mixtures. Differences in the growth mechanism of methane-rich and carbon dioxide-rich hydrates were elucidated. It was also shown that hydrate growth of methane, carbon dioxide, and their mixtures proceed via partial dissociation of the growing crystal. Temperature gradients were used to dissociate hydrates at specific locations, which revealed a most interesting phenomenon: On dissociation, carbon dioxide-rich hydrates propagated onto the bare substrate while drawing water from the opposite side of the sample. Furthermore, it was shown that an abrupt change in morphology common to all systems could be correlated to a change in the slope of growth rate data. This change in morphology was explained by a shift in the crystal growth mechanism.

8 páginas.- 3 figuras.- referencias.- Comunicación oral presentada en el XI International Workshop on Sap Flow 7-11 Oct. 2019 in Hyytiälä (Finland), Olive oil is considered as one of the healthiest oils for human consumption due to its high amount of monounsaturated fats and also to the content of antioxidants, polyphenols and triterpenes. Among these last compounds, the oleanolic acid and maslinic acid are of great interest because they are shown to have anti-tumoral and anti-cancer activity. Interestingly, water stress has been observed to enhance these compounds in olive oil. Thus, an irrigation tool based on tree physiology to manage the water stress level would be useful for improving health benefits of olive oil. The general objective of our work was to develop an irrigation approach, based on sap flow-related measurements, to evaluate and control the water stress of olive trees in order to increase the above-mentioned compounds in olive. To achieve this objective we conducted an experiment having four irrigation treatments, where we applied 100, 75, 50 and 25% of the irrigation needs. Sap flow gauges were installed in 16 olive trees, four replicates for each irrigation treatment, to estimate sap flux density by the compensation heat flux method. Sap flux density was used to estimate stomatal conductance in a continuous manner, using a method developed previously for olive. This simulated stomatal conductance was linked to a biochemical model of CO2 assimilation to estimate daily photosynthesis. Moreover, we determined the carbon isotope ratio (δC) in oil of the same monitored trees, as well as the oil compounds above-mentioned. Our results showed that those trees with a higher water supply had higher accumulated photosynthesis on a daily and seasonal basis. Oil δ13C showed the same trend, confirming the effect of stomatal closure on reduction of oil synthesis and the robustness of our methodological procedure to estimate gas exchange from sap flux density dynamics. Furthermore, the level of stomatal conductance achieved correlated inversely with the concentrations of oleanic acid and maslinic acid in the oil. Our results encourage the potential use of sap flow-related measurements to manage irrigation and control the desired level of water stress based on physiological criteria, which could be useful to improve the content of relevant compounds in olives., This work was funded by the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial and the research project AGL2015-71585-R (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation), the European project ERA-NET JPI-Waterworks (PCIN-2017-002, UE) and Grupo Castillo de Canena. A. Pérez-Martı́n and R. Romero helped us with the field measurements.

The South African abalone Haliotis midae is a commercially important species farmed at high densities in land-based aquaculture systems. Disease outbreaks have had a severe financial impact on the abalone industry yet the molecular mechanisms underlying the immune response of H. midae remain obscure. In this study, a comparative shotgun proteomics approach using iTRAQ coupled with LC-MS/MS was employed to investigate H. midae proteome changes in response to Vibrio anguillarum challenge. A total of 118 non-redundant, unique haemocyte proteins were identified and quantified, with 16 proteins significantly regulated. Hierarchical clustering and pathway analysis uncovered a coordinated response dominated by calcium and cAMP signalling via activation of MAPK cascades. Early up-regulated biological processes involve phagocytosis, nitric oxide production and ATP-synthesis, whilst down-regulated responses were predominantly involved in the regulation of apoptosis. The late up-regulated response involved protein kinase activity and detoxification processes. Expression of selected proteins was validated by Western blot. A putative allograft inflammatory factor-1 protein was further selected to establish its functional molecular role in haemocytes. Confocal imaging revealed that allograft inflammatory factor-1 regulates phagocytosis via a functional interaction with filamentous actin. This is the first time a high-throughput proteomics approach has been used to investigate the immune response of H. midae.

Tuberculous granulomas that develop in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) infection are highly dynamic entities shaped by the host immune response and disease kinetics. Within this microenvironment, immune cell recruitment, polarization, and activation are driven not only by coexisting cell types and multicellular interactions but also by M. tuberculosis-mediated changes involving metabolic heterogeneity, epigenetic reprogramming, and rewiring of the transcriptional landscape of host cells. There is an increased appreciation of the in vivo complexity, versatility, and heterogeneity of the cellular compartment that constitutes the tuberculosis (TB) granuloma and the difficulty in translating findings from animal models to human disease. Here, we describe a novel biomimetic in vitro three-dimensional (3D) human lung spheroid granuloma model, resembling early “innate” and “adaptive” stages of the TB granuloma spectrum, and present results of histological architecture, host transcriptional characterization, mycobacteriological features, cytokine profiles, and spatial distribution of key immune cells. A range of manipulations of immune cell populations in these spheroid granulomas will allow the study of host/pathogen pathways involved in the outcome of infection, as well as pharmacological interventions. IMPORTANCE TB is a highly infectious disease, with granulomas as its hallmark. Granulomas play an important role in the control of M. tuberculosis infection and as such are crucial indicators for our understanding of host resistance to TB. Correlates of risk and protection to M. tuberculosis are still elusive, and the granuloma provides the perfect environment in which to study the immune response to infection and broaden our understanding thereof; however, human granulomas are difficult to obtain, and animal models are costly and do not always faithfully mimic human immunity. In fact, most TB research is conducted in vitro on immortalized or primary immune cells and cultured in two dimensions on flat, rigid plastic, which does not reflect in vivo characteristics. We have therefore conceived a 3D, human in vitro spheroid granuloma model which allows researchers to study features of granuloma-forming diseases in a 3D structural environment resembling in vivo granuloma architecture and cellular orientation.

The best strategy to manage an interarytenoid defect [Type 1 laryngeal cleft (LC-1) or deep interarytenoid groove (DIG)] in pediatric aerodigestive patients with dysphagia remains uncertain. This study compared benefit of interarytenoid augmentation (IAA) to suture repair or clinical observation alone in pediatric patients.A 3-year retrospective, single-center analysis of children with dysphagia undergoing endoscopic airway evaluation was performed. Physician preference guided treatment plan: suture repair with CO2 laser, IAA (carboxy methylcellulose or calcium hydroxyapatite), or observation. Primary outcome was improved post-operative diet. Significance was assumed at p 0.05.449 patients underwent diagnostic endoscopy. Mean age (±SD) at procedure was 21 ± 13 months, with nearly one fourth (28 %) of children ≤ 12 months. Eighty (18 %) had either an LC-1 (n = 55) or DIG (n = 25). Of these, 35 (42 %) underwent suture repair, 22 (28 %) IAA, and 23 (30 %) observation only. Aspiration improved overall in the interventional groups compared to observational controls (58 % vs. 9 %, p 0.05), with no change in benefit observed by age of intervention. IAA was as effective as suture repair (59 % vs 55 %, p = 0.46). In patients with only a DIG, IAA intervention alone significantly improved swallow function (66.6 % vs. 0 %, p 0.05).In pediatric aerodigestive patients with dysphagia, 18 % of children have an addressable lesion. IAA or suture repair similarly improves dietary advancement. IAA improves swallow function in patients with DIG. These findings support a novel protocol to intervene in dysphagia patients with LC-1 or DIG via IAA at the initial operative evaluation.

Traits lacking fitness benefit cannot be directly selected for under Darwinian evolution. Thus, features such as metabolite secretion are currently inaccessible to adaptive laboratory evolution. Here, we utilize environment-dependency of trait correlations to enable Darwinian selection of fitness-neutral or costly traits. We use metabolic models to design selection niches and to identify surrogate traits that are genetically correlated with cell fitness in the selection niche but coupled to the desired trait in the target niche. Adaptive evolution in the selection niche and subsequent return to the target niche is thereby predicted to enhance the desired trait. We experimentally validate the theory by evolving Saccharomyces cerevisiae for increased secretion of aroma compounds in wine fermentation. Genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic changes in the evolved strains confirmed the predicted flux re-routing to aroma biosynthesis. The use of model-designed selection niches facilitates the predictive evolution of fitness-costly traits for ecological and biotechnological applications.

Tuberculous granulomas that develop in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection are highly dynamic entities shaped by the host immune response and disease kinetics. Within this microenvironment, immune cell recruitment, polarization and activation is driven not only by co-existing cell types and multi-cellular interactions, but also by M.tb-mediated changes involving metabolic heterogeneity, epigenetic reprogramming and rewiring of the transcriptional landscape of host cells. There is an increased appreciation of the in vivo complexity, versatility and heterogeneity of the cellular compartment that constitutes the tuberculosis (TB) granuloma, and the difficulty in translating findings from animal models to human disease. Here we describe a novel biomimetic in vitro 3-dimentional (3D) human lung granuloma model, resembling early “innate” and “adaptive” stages of the TB granuloma spectrum, and present results of histological architecture, host transcriptional characterization, mycobacteriological features, cytokine profiles and spatial distribution of key immune cells. A range of manipulations of immune cell populations in these granulomas will allow the study of host/pathogen pathways involved in the outcome of infection, as well as pharmacological interventions.IMPORTANCETuberculosis is a highly infectious disease, with granulomas as its hallmark. Granulomas play an important role in the control of M.tb infection and as such are crucial indicators for our understanding of host resistance to TB. Correlates of risk and protection to M.tb are still elusive, and the granuloma provides the perfect environment in which to study the immune response to infection and broaden our understanding thereof; however, human granulomas are difficult to obtain, and animal models are costly and do not always faithfully mimic human immunity. In fact, most TB research is conducted in vitro on immortalized or primary immune cells and cultured in 2D on flat, rigid plastic, which does not reflect in vivo characteristics. We have therefore conceived a 3D, human in vitro granuloma model which allows researchers to study features of granuloma-forming diseases, in an 3D structural environment resembling in vivo granuloma architecture and cellular orientation.

Objectives 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography- Computed Tomography (PET/CT) scans can be used to assess healing following treatment for spinal tuberculosis (TB) but have limited accessibility and high cost. This study investigated the association between immune biomarkers and FDG-PET/CT activity after ≥9 months of treatment for spinal TB. Methods Patients who had completed ≥9 months of treatment for spinal TB were recruited from a major hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. Participants underwent a FDG-PET/CT scan and FDG- PET/CT activity was quantified for all spinal and extra-spinal sites. Participants also provided a blood sample, which was evaluated for 19 cytokines along with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the association between biomarkers and PET/CT measures. Results Twenty-eight patients were recruited, of whom 24 (86%) had spinal and/or extra-spinal FDG-PET/CT activity. In the strongest multiple regression model, CXCL10/IP-10, VEGFA, IFN-γ, CRP and Factor D/Adipsin explained 52% of the variation in overall maximal FDG uptake. Conventional monitoring marker ESR showed no significant association with PET/CT measures. Conclusions The current findings offered encouragement that biomarkers to predict FDG-PET/CT activity may show some promise and identified candidate biomarkers for further investigation in this regard.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is characterized by lung granulomas, inflammation and tissue destruction. Here we used within-subject peripheral blood gene expression over time to correlate with the within-subject lung metabolic activity, as measured by positron emission tomography (PET) to identify biological processes and pathways underlying overall resolution of lung inflammation. We used next-generation RNA sequencing and [18F]FDG PET-CT data, collected at diagnosis, week 4, and week 24, from 75 successfully cured PTB patients, with the [18F]FDG activity as a surrogate for lung inflammation. Our linear mixed-effects models required that for each individual the slope of the line of [18F]FDG data in the outcome and the slope of the peripheral blood transcript expression data correlate, i.e., the slopes of the outcome and explanatory variables had to be similar. Of 10,295 genes that changed as a function of time, we identified 639 genes whose expression profiles correlated with decreasing [18F]FDG uptake levels in the lungs. Gene enrichment over-representation analysis revealed that numerous biological processes were significantly enriched in the 639 genes, including several well known in TB transcriptomics such as platelet degranulation and response to interferon gamma, thus validating our novel approach. Others not previously associated with TB pathobiology included smooth muscle contraction, a set of pathways related to mitochondrial function and cell death, as well as a set of pathways connecting transcription, translation and vesicle formation. We observed up-regulation in genes associated with B cells, and down-regulation in genes associated with platelet activation. We found 254 transcription factor binding sites to be enriched among the 639 gene promoters. In conclusion, we demonstrated that of the 10,295 gene expression changes in peripheral blood, only a subset of 639 genes correlated with inflammation in the lungs, and the enriched pathways provide a description of the biology of resolution of lung inflammation as detectable in peripheral blood. Surprisingly, resolution of PTB inflammation is positively correlated with smooth muscle contraction and, extending our previous observation on mitochondrial genes, shows the presence of mitochondrial stress. We focused on pathway analysis which can enable therapeutic target discovery and potential modulation of the host response to TB.

Nine aqueous extracts of plant leaves from the Philippines were evaluated against Oesaphagustomum dentatum sensitive (ODSEns) larvae for their anthelmintic effects. The plant species evaluated were Ananas comosus, Chrysophyllum cainito,Gliricidia sepium, Annona squamosa, Moringa oleifera, Tinospora rumphii Boerl,Azadirachta indica, Trichantera gigantea and Leuacaena leucocephala. The leaves of the plants gathered from Camiling, Tarlac, Philippines, were dried under room temperature for 30 days and then ground. Aqueous extracts of these plant leaves were prepared using migration buffer. In vitro migration and inhibition assays were used to evaluate the anthelmintic activity against exsheathed third stage larvae of Oesophagustomum dentatum. The experiments were put in 24-well plates at room temperature with four replications per treatment using different concentrations of 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/ml. About 120 larvae per well were deposited on a larval migration apparatus consisting of 20 μm nylon mesh filters and incubated 20 hours under different treatments and another 2 hours to allow the migration of active motile larvae. The evaluation criteria were based on the average numbers of inhibited larvae under the different treatments. The percentage inhibition were statistically analyzed using Two-Way ANOVA (P=≤.0001) of the Graph Pad Prizm software (V5 San Diego, Ca). The most effective leaves with their highest inhibition level were from Ananas comosus (pineapple, 86.50%), Gliricidia sepium (madre de cacao, 84.50%), Chrysophyllum cainito (star apple, 83.75%), Moringa oleifera (horseradish,58.75%), Annona squamosa (sweet sop, 56.00%), Tinospora rumphii Boerl ( \Makabuhay, 55.75%), and Azadirachta indica (Neem, 51.50%), whereby extremely significant (P˂0.001) effect against O. dentatum larvae. Two leaves extracts, from Trichantera gigantea and Leuacaena leucocephala have no significant effect on O. dentatum larvae. The larval migration assay allows initial studies on the anthelmintic effects of the herbs.

The action of three distinct recombinant antifreeze proteins (AFPs) as methane hydrate inhibitors was examined using a recently-developed reactor. Compared with traditional approaches, this reactor uses minimal reactant volumes and short experimentation times to assess phase equilibria, kinetics and morphology of a hydrate system in a single experiment (3-in-1). Two of the recombinant AFPs are considered highly active with respect to the inhibition of ice: ‘Maxi’, a fish AFP, and a beetle AFP (TmAFP). The third protein from a grass, is classified as a low activity AFP (LpAFP). ‘Maxi’, an AFP that has not been tested previously as a hydrate inhibitor, slowed hydrate growth rates up to an order of magnitude compared to pure water. TmAFP and LpAFP also exhibited kinetic inhibition, but were less effective than ‘Maxi’. In the presence of AFPs, hydrate films were thinner and showed a single growth mechanism compared to multiple crystal growth mechanisms observed in control experiments. The addition of TmAFP generated large irregular hydrate halos that propagated outside the original water boundary. Halo propagation was somewhat less prominent with LpAFP, and was not observed with ‘Maxi’. Although, none of the AFP’s showed thermodynamic inhibition properties, ‘Maxi’ appeared to form clusters of hydrate which remained metastable in the liquid–vapour region.

Resume L’objectif de notre etude etait d’evaluer les index de performance du scanner post-mortem sans injection dans la detection des lesions thoraciques apres mort violente. Materiel et methode Nous avons recueilli retrospectivement un echantillon de 67 corps decedes de mort violente avec lesions thoraciques, et qui ont eu un scanner non injecte, analyse en temps reel et suivi d’une autopsie. Une confrontation scanner–autopsie constituait le gold standard de notre etude. Les donnees ont ete recueillies par organe : cœur, pericarde, aorte, poumons, plevre, os et diaphragme avec calcul d’index de performance classique. Resultats Les lesions pleurales (59/67), et osseuses (55/67) vues au scanner etaient toutes vues a l’autopsie et confirmees en consensus lors du staff mensuel (sensibilite et specificite de 100 %). Dix-sept sur 67 lesions diaphragmatiques etaient detectees au scanner, et 18 en autopsie et confirmees par le staff, soit une sensibilite de 94 % avec une specificite de 98 %. Quarante sur 67 contusions pulmonaires etaient vues au scanner avec deux faux positifs et un faux negatif, avec sensibilite du scanner de 95 %, specificite de 96 % et une accuracy de 95 %. Quatorze sur 67 lesions aortiques ont ete detectees au scanner contre 19 lesions retenues par le staff apres l’autopsie (sensibilite 74 %, specificite 85 %, accuracy 82 %). Pour les lesions pericardiques, 19/67 etaient vues au scanner et 20 a l’autopsie et confirmees par le staff (sensibilite 80 %, specificite 94 %, accuracy 85 %) ; 10/67 lesions cardiaques etaient vues au scanner, et 15 etaient retenues lors du staff de confrontation (sensibilite 57 %, specificite 94 %, accuracy 81 %). Conclusion La performance du scanner post-mortem non injecte etait bonne pour la detection des lesions pleuropulmonaires, osseuses et diaphragmatiques mais moindre pour les lesions cardiaques et aortiques pour lesquelles le recours aux signes indirects etait imperatif.

// Ilana C. van Rensburg 1 , Chandre Wagman 1 , Kim Stanley 1 , Caroline Beltran 1 , Katharina Ronacher 1 , Gerhard Walzl 1 and Andre G. Loxton 1 1 SA MRC Centre for TB Research, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa Correspondence to: Andre G. Loxton, email: // Keywords : FasL, IL5Ra, B-cells, regulatory cells, TB treatment, Immunology and Microbiology Section, Immune response, Immunity Received : March 31, 2016 Accepted : September 13, 2016 Published : September 22, 2016 Abstract Activated B-cells increase T-cell behaviour during autoimmune disease and other infections by means of cytokine production and antigen-presentation. Functional studies in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) indicate that B-cell deficiencies, and a lack of IL10 and IL35 leads to a poor prognosis. We hypothesised that B-cells play a role during tuberculosis. We evaluated B-cell mRNA expression using real-time PCR from healthy community controls, individuals with other lung diseases and newly diagnosed untreated pulmonary TB patients at three different time points (diagnosis, month 2 and 6 of treatment). We show that FASLG, IL5RA, CD38 and IL4 expression was lower in B-cells from TB cases compared to healthy controls. The changes in expression levels of CD38 may be due to a reduced activation of B-cells from TB cases at diagnosis. By month 2 of treatment, there was a significant increase in the expression of APRIL and IL5RA in TB cases. Furthermore, after 6 months of treatment, APRIL, FASLG , IL5RA and CD19 were upregulated in B-cells from TB cases. The increase in the expression of APRIL and CD19 suggests that there may be restored activation of B-cells following anti-TB treatment. The upregulation of FASLG and IL5RA indicates that B-cells expressing regulatory genes may play an important role in the protective immunity against M.tb infection. Our results show that increased activation of B-cells is present following successful TB treatment, and that the expression of FASLG and IL5RA could potentially be utilised as a signature to monitor treatment response.

Methane hydrates were crystallized from water droplets on three different surfaces of varying wettability. Contact angles in air were used to classify substrates in decreasing order of wettability as: glass, sapphire, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Hydrates grown on glass appeared to have a rougher texture than those grown on sapphire, and those grown on PVC appeared to have the smoothest texture. Hydrate films formed on sapphire and PVC smoothed over time, and depressions on the clathrate films were observed within 3 h of initial crystal growth. Hydrate films formed on glass did not develop depressions over this 3 h period. On glass and sapphire, methane hydrate propagated beyond the original water droplet boundaries. The hydrate propagation velocity on glass was found to be at least 50% higher than that on sapphire. Methane hydrate did not propagate beyond the water droplet boundaries on PVC. Hydrate growth beyond the original water droplet boundary (halo) was found to proceed through water migration by capillary action: first, water migrated onto the bare substrate (glass or sapphire), and second, hydrate grew on the fresh water surface. We posit that static contact angle measurements of water on a solid substrate in air could be used to infer the potential for hydrate propagation onto a solid substrate.

Resume Objectifs Evaluer une semiologie TDM post-mortem non injectee orientant vers une lesion traumatique d’un organe plein abdominal chez des accidentes de la voie publique decedes. Materiels et methodes Vingt-trois patients decedes dans un AVP, explores avant autopsie, par TDM sans injection. Le delai moyen entre l’AVP et la TDM etait de 48 heures. Les donnees TDM recueillies etaient l’heterogeneite du parenchyme hepatique, splenique ou renal, une collection hematique focale au contact de l’organe, l’air intra-parenchymateux extra-vasculaire, les fragments osseux penetrants. Une stratification autopsique en lesions majeures et mineures etait effectuee dans le cadre de cette etude. La lecture etait realisee en binome radiologue-legiste et la relecture pratiquee en consensus apres l’autopsie. Les index de performance etaient calcules par lesion et par organe. Resultats A l’autopsie, 20 organes etaient leses, dont 13 ayant des lesions classees comme majeures. Douze lesions etaient decrites en TDM. La sensibilite et specificite des signes TDM pour le diagnostic de lesions viscerales abdominales etaient respectivement de 61 % et 98 % ; la sensibilite augmentait (71 %) pour les lesions majeures. La presence d’une collection hematique focale etait le signe le plus indicatif d’atteinte d’organe (sensibilite 50 %). La detection des lesions n’etait pas amelioree par la relecture post-autopsie. Conclusion Une semiologie thanatoradiologique existe et doit etre decrite. Concernant les organes pleins abdominaux, notre etude montre que les lesions traumatiques ne sont jamais directement individualisees. Cependant, l’utilisation de deux signes simples permet d’ameliorer la detection de ces lesions.

Herbal medicines have the potential to be used as therapeutic agents. Polyalthia longifolia is widely grown in both Indonesia and the Philippines, but it has not commonly used for its therapeutic purposes. Some studies reported that P. longifolia leaves extract has anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, the potential of Polyalthia longifolia leaves extracts for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Indometachin-induced rats was tested. Four groups of rats were used for this research, were control (T1), rats with IBD with 10 mg/kg BW of sulfasalazine therapy (T2),) rats with IBD treated with 300 mg/kg BW of Indonesia P. longifolia leaves extract therapy (T3) and rats IBD treated with 300mg/kg BW of The Philippines P. longifolia leaves extract therapy (T4). Histopathology of gastric, duodenum, jejunum, and colon were analyzed, with protein profile and pro-inflammatory cytokines expressions. The results showed that P. longifolia leaves extract therapy origin from Indonesia and the Philippines were potent as anti-inflammatory agents comparable to commercially available drugs against IBD. This works proposed the use of P. longifolia leaves as IBD therapy.

The main sources of irrigation water for irrigating crops comes from major rivers. Usually these water sources which can be used for irrigating various crops could be very vulnerable to contamination. The aim of the study was to determine the physical, chemical and microbial water quality of the different irrigation sources in Tarlac and to compare it with the existing water quality guidelines stipulated in the DENR AO 08 Series of 2016. The water samples collected from the surface water of different rivers were subjected to laboratory analysis. Higher TSS was found to be during wet season as compared during the dry season. Higher COD was found both in dry and wet seasons in Benig river. All of the major rivers have a less than 0.05 mg/l lead and 0.0002 mg/l mercury based from the result of the laboratory analysis. The highest dissolved oxygen was found to be within the Tarlac River both during the dry and wet season. Comparing with the National standards from the DENR the major rivers of Tarlac surpasses the minimum standards of classification of water bodies with dissolved oxygen ranging from 2 to 6 mg/l. The lowest dissolved oxygen was found in Concepcion River during the dry season (5.0 mg/l) and in Rio Chico River (4.8 mg/l) during the wet season. Higher total dissolved solids were observed in the different rivers during the dry season which ranges from 300 to 560 mg/l as compared during the wet season which ranges from 169 to 540 mg/l respectively. The nitrate concentrations of the different rivers in Tarlac shows to be within the range of the National Standards of the DENR. Higher concentrations of E. coli and fecal coliform count were also noted within the different rivers of Tarlac.

Polyalthia longifolia (family: Annonaceae) is widely planted to effectively reduces noise pollution. This plant spread in many countries including Indonesia and the Philippines. Alkaloids are the main active compounds other than terpenoids in P.longifolia and it has the potential to be anti-inflammatory. Each leaves considered have different active compounds because of the different geographic factor from each country. To confirm this, we investigated the differences alkaloid compounds from two different sources of plants and predicted their anti-inflammatory potential. Shade-dried leaves from Indonesia and the Philippines were extracted by ethanol 70%. Two extracts were analyzed with LC-MS to ensure alkaloid compounds. Ensured alkaloid compounds further take on molecular docking. The compounds were drawn with ChemDraw then convert to .pdb with Open Babel. The protein COX-2 obtained from .pdb then prepared with PyMol. The docking process held by PyRx and the interaction was visualized by LigPlot+. LC-MS analysis identified 5 alkaloids contained from the ethanol extract of P.longifolia leaves from Indonesia and the Philippines. O-methylbulbocapnine-N-oxide was found only in ethanol extract leaves from Indonesia, while N-methylnandingerine-β-N-oxide was only found in ethanol extract leaves from the Philippines. All compounds have the potential as an anti-inflammation. Liriodenine as the most potent compound with binding energy −10.9kcal/mol. O-methylbulbocapnine-N-oxide has lower binding energy than N-methylnandingerine-β-N-oxide. In conclusion, there are differences between the alkaloid compounds and anti-inflammatory potential of the ethanol extract of P.longifolia leaves from Indonesia and the Philippines. Moreover, Indonesia’s ethanol extract leaves showed more potential than Philippines’s.

In the present study, phytochemical screening of ethanolic extracts of Azadirachta indica leaves from Indonesia and the Philippines revealed the presence of different phytoconstituents. Preliminary qualitative chemical test, TLC and LC-MS were used. TLC for all the extracts showed bands in long UV 366 for presence of flavonoid, tannin, saponin, terpenoid. As a result of LC-MS analysis of ethanolic extract Azadirachta indica leaves from Indonesia and Philippines, 10 compounds from Indonesian varian and 7 compounds from the Philippines varian were detected using m/z value. In conclusion, phytochemical screening based on TLC and LC-MS/MS show diverse bioactive compounds in ethanolic extract Azadirachta indica leaves from Indonesia and the Philippines. These can be effective approach for selecting best quality of varian leaves and planting area.

This declaration, signed by an interdisciplinary task force of 234 experts from 83 different countries with different backgrounds, highlights the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance and the need for appropriate use of antibiotic agents and antifungal agents in hospitals worldwide especially focusing on surgical infections. As such, it is our intent to raise awareness among healthcare workers and improve antimicrobial prescribing. To facilitate its dissemination, the declaration was translated in different languages. © Copyright 2017, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

International audience; This declaration, signed by an interdisciplinary task force of 234 experts from 83 different countries with different backgrounds, highlights the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance and the need for appropriate use of antibiotic agents and antifungal agents in hospitals worldwide especially focusing on surgical infections. As such, it is our intent to raise awareness among healthcare workers and improve antimicrobial prescribing. To facilitate its dissemination, the declaration was translated in different languages.

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the performances of unenhanced post-mortem computed tomography (CT) to detect thoracic injuries in violent death. Materials and methods Retrospectively, we conducted a review of unenhanced CT scans of 67 victims of violent deaths with thoracic injuries and compared CT findings with the results of clinical autopsy. Our gold standard was a comparison of CT scans with autopsy discussed in a monthly forensic radiology multidisciplinary team meeting (MDTM). The data were collected by organ system: heart, pericardium, aorta, lungs, pleura, bone, and diaphragm and performance indices (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy) were calculated. Results Pleural (59/67) and bone (55/67) injuries detected on CT were also found at autopsy and confirmed by the MDTM (sensitivity and specificity 100%). Seventeen out of 67 diaphragmatic lesions were visible on CT. Eighteen out of 67 were confirmed during MDTM after autopsy, yielding overall sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 98%. Forty out of 67 lung contusions were found on CT with two false positives and one false negative yielding 95% sensitivity for CT with a specificity of 96%, and accuracy of 95%. Fourteen out of 67 aortic injuries were found on CT compared to 19 confirmed during MDTM (sensitivity 74%, specificity 85%, accuracy 82%). In terms of pericardial lesions, 19/67 were found on CT and 20 on autopsy and confirmed during MDTM (sensitivity 80%, specificity 94%, accuracy 85%). Ten out of 10/67 cardiac lesions were visible on CT imaging and 15 found on autopsy and confirmed during MDTM (sensitivity 57%, specificity 94%, accuracy 81%). Conclusion Unenhanced post-mortem CT performs well to detect pleural, pulmonary, bone and diaphragmatic injuries but less well to identify cardiac and aortic injuries, for which the use of indirect signs is essential.

A brief review of the Gibbs phase rule for non-reacting systems and its correct application to clathrate hydrates is presented. Clarification is provided for a common mistake found in hydrate phase-equilibria literature, whereby initial compositions are used as intensive variables to satisfy the Gibbs phase rule instead of the equilibrium values. The system of (methane + carbon dioxide + water) under (hydrate + liquid + vapor) equilibrium is used as a case study to illustrate key points and suggestions to improve experimental techniques are proposed.

Equilibrium liquid and gas mole fraction measurements were taken at hydrate–liquid–vapor equilibrium for the N2 + CO2 + H2O system. Experimental conditions ranged from 275.1 K to 279.2 K and from 2.7 MPa to 14 MPa. Gaseous mole fractions were compared to literature values to validate that equilibrium was reached. The effect of temperature and pressure changes on the solubility of both gas hydrate formers along isotherms is reported. The thermodynamic region associated with a hydrate structure change affected solubility trends.

Methane clathrate formation on water films without previous hydrate formation history was studied. It was found that hydrates form in two layers, each with a clearly distinct morphology. As the clathrate aged, this difference in morphology tended to disappear. Higher driving forces produced smaller hydrate grains and smoother surfaces than lower driving forces within the water film. The converse was true for hydrate formed on the periphery. A third hydrate layer growing outside of the original water boundary was also observed. For the first time, it was shown that this growing front could induce nucleation by creating a "bridge" between segregated water droplets. Hydrate reformation was also studied and it was found that it proceeded in a manner different than that of a system without previous clathrate formation history. For reformation. nucleation occurred within the film and a circular hydrate front(s) advanced toward the periphery of the water film with uniform morphology.

Particle size distribution measurements were performed during the growth stage of methane hydrate formation in a semi-batch stirred tank crystallizer. Experiments were carried out at temperatures between 275.1 and 279.2 K and pressures ranging from 3873 to 5593 kPa. The reaction rate constant of methane hydrate formation was determined using the model of Bergeron and Servio (AIChE J 2008;54:2964). The experimental reaction rate constant was found to increase with temperature, following an Arrhenius-type relationship, from 8.3 × 10 −8 m/s to 6.15 × 10 −7 m/s over the 4° range investigated, resulting in an activation energy of 323 kJ/mol. An increase in pressure of approximately 600 kPa did not have any effect on the reaction rate constant. Population balances, based on the measured critical nuclei diameter and that predicted by homogeneous nucleation theory, were also used for comparison purposes. The initial number of hydrate particles was calculated using the mole fraction of methane in the bulk liquid phase and compared to that predicted by an energy balance.

Three phase equilibrium conditions for the N2 + CO2 + H2O system in vapor−liquid water−hydrate (V−LW−H) equilibrium were determined. The temperature and pressure conditions studied were in the range of (275 to 283) K and (2.0 to 22.4) MPa, respectively. As the system has 2 degrees of freedom, pressure and temperature were fixed, and gas composition was measured when equilibrium was achieved. The collected data represent points on an equilibrium plane. It was found that along any given isotherm on the plane the hydrate equilibrium pressure increases with increasing mole fraction of nitrogen in the gas phase.

Four-phase equilibrium conditions (hydrate−liquid−liquidaq−vapor) were studied for the system methane + carbon dioxide + neohexane + water by the pressure search method. In addition, three-phase equilibrium conditions (hydrate−liquid−vapor) were determined for the same system in the absence of neohexane. Experimental conditions were varied in the temperature range of (275 to 285) K and the pressure range of (1.3 to 7.5) MPa. Equilibrium temperature and pressure values were found to agree, within the uncertainties herein reported, with existing literature values for both systems. The data were used to produce experimental contour plots that summarize the equilibrium temperature, pressure, and vapor composition on the same graph. It was observed that the equilibrium mole fraction of carbon dioxide in the vapor phase follows opposite trends in both systems, with respect to equilibrium pressure, at rather constant temperature. The data also suggest that hexagonal structure H equilibrium occurs at lower pressu...

The absence of a gold standard to determine when antibiotics induce a sterilizing cure has confounded the development of new approaches to treat pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). We detected positron emission tomography and computerized tomography (PET-CT) imaging response patterns consistent with active disease, along with the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) mRNA in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples, in a substantial proportion of adult, HIV-negative patients with PTB after a standard 6-month treatment plus 1 year follow-up, including patients with a durable cure and others who later developed recurrent disease. The presence of MTB mRNA in the context of nonresolving and intensifying lesions on PET-CT images might indicate ongoing transcription, suggesting that even apparently curative treatment for PTB may not eradicate all of the MTB bacteria in most patients. This suggests an important complementary role for the immune response in maintaining a disease-free state. Sterilizing drugs or host-directed therapies, and better treatment response markers, are probably needed for the successful development of improved and shortened PTB-treatment strategies.

Resting cell suspensions and cell-free extracts of Pseudomonas putida IF-3 were tested to assess their ability to degrade caffeine, and to determine their capacity to retain activity at different temperatures. A method to quantify cell lysis using optical density was developed in order to allow the comparison of cell free extract and resting cell caffeine degradation rates on the same basis. Caffeine degradation rates for cell free extracts were found to be 2.4mol g cells −1 min −1 ; this rate is 55 times faster than previously reported P. putida data. Resting cells degraded caffeine 12 times faster than cell free extracts, at 22 ◦ C. However, both systems were equivalently active at 50 ◦ C. Resting cells were significantly more stable than cell free extracts, retaining their ability to degrade caffeine even at elevated temperatures. Cell free extracts lost all activity after 15 min at 55 ◦ C. 9 10 11 12 13 14

Hemoglobin (Hgb) solutions cause systemic vasoconstriction, which might limit their use as intraoperative blood substitutes. This constriction is thought to be caused by interaction between Hgb and nitric oxide (NO). To determine whether alpha-alpha cross-linked hemoglobin (XL-Hgb) interferes with NO-mediated vasodilation caused by acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (NTP), we infused these compounds into the femoral, superior mesenteric, and circumflex coronary arteries of anesthetized dogs (n = 6) before and after partial exchange transfusion with XL-Hgb. Additional animals (n = 6) were studied after treatment with 5% albumin. XL-Hgb administration increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 81 +/- 5 to 112 +/- 8 (P < 0.05). Albumin reduced MAP from 84 +/- 4 mm Hg to 76 +/- 4 mm Hg (P < 0.05). Vascular conductance after XL-Hgb decreased in the femoral artery, was not changed in the mesenteric bed, and increased modestly in the coronary artery (from 0.19 +/- 0.03 to 0.26 +/- 0.02 mL x mm Hg(-1) x min(-1), P < 0.05). After albumin, conductance was unchanged in the femoral artery and increased in the mesenteric artery. Conductance also increased in the coronary bed (from 0.25 +/- 0.02 to 0.49 +/- 0.03 mL x mm Hg(-1) x min(-1), P < 0.05). The vasodilator response to ACh in the femoral or mesenteric beds was either unaffected or augmented by either XL-Hgb or albumin. In the coronary bed, XL-Hgb blunted the dilator responses to ACh and NTP, while albumin augmented the coronary dilator responses to ACh. In five additional dogs, the NO synthase inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl L-arginine caused MAP to increase from 85 +/- 4 to 90 +/- 8 mm Hg and blunted the coronary dilator responses to ACh by approximately 25%. Subsequent XL-Hgb administration caused a further increase in MAP to 112 +/- 19 mm Hg (P < 0.05) and also further blunted ACh-mediated vasodilator responses in the coronary circulation. XL-Hgb has complex effects on the circulatory system, including a reduction in the vasodilator responses to ACh and NTP in canine coronary arteries in vivo. The potential impact of these events on patients with significant coexisting disease is unclear.