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Necrotizing tracheobronchitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis
No full textAbstractWe report a case of necrotizing tracheobronchitis with rheumatoid arthritis. A 64 year-old-man presented with dry cough and was initially diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia. The patient was admitted; he received initial antibiotic treatment. The treatment was effective and the symptoms worsened. Bronchoscopy was performed for more thorough examination. It showed that white and soft tissues were on the trachea-bronchus. Transbronchial biopsy of the tracheal lesions revealed necrotic tissue with squamous metaplasia and inflammatory cells. Whereas, symmetrical arthralgia of multiple joints of the limbs was noted and rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody of levels were high. According to these results, the patient was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. In this case, necrotizing tracheobronchitis occurred as a result of systemic inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. An acute exacerbation of the patient's respiratory condition was treated with steroid therapy. Tracheal findings and respiratory symptoms were improved by steroid therapy
Flavored e-cigarette use: Characterizing youth, young adult, and adult users
No full textAbstractThe purpose of this study is to investigate how the use of flavored e-cigarettes varies between youth (12–17years old), young adults (18–29years old), and older adults (30+ years old). Cross-sectional surveys of school-going youth (n=3907) and young adult college students (n=5482) in Texas, and young adults and older adults (n=6051) nationwide were administered in 2014–2015. Proportions and 95% confidence intervals were used to describe the percentage of e-cigarette use at initiation and in the past 30days that was flavored, among current e-cigarette users. Chi-square tests were applied to examine differences by combustible tobacco product use and demographic factors. Most e-cigarette users said their first and “usual” e-cigarettes were flavored. At initiation, the majority of Texas school-going youth (98%), Texas young adult college students (95%), and young adults (71.2%) nationwide said their first e-cigarettes were flavored to taste like something other than tobacco, compared to 44.1% of older adults nationwide. Fruit and candy flavors predominated for all groups; and, for youth, flavors were an especially salient reason to use e-cigarettes. Among adults, the use of tobacco flavor at initiation was common among dual users (e-cigarettes+combustible tobacco), while other flavors were more common among former cigarette smokers (P=0.03). Restricting the range of e-cigarette flavors (e.g., eliminating sweet flavors, like fruit and candy) may benefit youth and young adult prevention efforts. However, it is unclear what impact this change would have on adult smoking cessation
The role of glucocorticoid receptors in metabolic syndrome and psychiatric illness
No full textAbstractGlucocorticoids (GCs) are involved in a large number of the physiological changes associated with metabolic syndrome and certain psychiatric illness. Although significance is often given to the concentration of GC, its biological action is determined by the activation of intracellular GC receptors (GR). Genetic polymorphisms of the GR and the large array of GR related cofactors can directly or indirectly affect the pathophysiology and evolution of these conditions. This review will discuss the effects of GR mutations on metabolic syndrome and psychotic depression
Are patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who are identified through active case finding in the community different than those identified in healthcare facilities?
No full textAbstractThe lack of healthcare access contributes to large numbers of tuberculosis (TB) cases being missed and has led to renewed interest in outreach approaches to increase detection. It is however unclear whether outreach activities increase case detection or merely identify patients before they attend health facilities. We compared adults with cough of >2 weeks' duration recruited in health facilities (1202 participants) or in urban slums (2828 participants) in Nigeria. Participants provided demographic and clinical information and were screened using smear microscopy. The characteristics of smear-positive and smear-negative individuals were compared stratified by place of enrolment. Two hundred nine health facility participants (17.4%) and 485 community-based participants (16.9%) were smear positive for pulmonary TB. Community-based smear-positive cases were older (mean age, 36.3 vs. 31.8 years), had longer cough duration (10.3 vs. 6.8 weeks) and longer duration of weight loss (4.6 vs. 3.6 weeks) than facility-based cases; and they complained more of fever (87.4% vs. 74.6%), chest pain (89.0% vs. 67.0%) and anorexia (79.5% vs. 55.5%). Community smear-negative participants were older (mean, 39.4 vs. 34.0 years), were more likely to have symptoms and were more likely to have symptoms of longer duration than smear-negative facility-based participants. Patients with pulmonary TB identified in the community had more symptoms and longer duration of illness than facility-based patients, which appeared to be due to factors differentially affecting access to healthcare. Community-based activities targeted at urban slum populations may identify a different TB case population than that accessing stationary services
Hydrophobicity, reactivity trends of base catalyzed hydrolysis of some novel high spin Fe(II) Schiff base amino acid chelates in some binary aqueous solvent mixtures: Initial-transition state analysis
No full textAbstractRate constants for the base hydrolysis of bis(naphthylidene alanate)iron (II) (nali), bis(naphthylidene phenylalanate)iron(II) (nphali), bis(naphthylidene aspartate)iron(II) (nasi), (naphthylidene histidinate)iron(II) (nhi), bis(naphthylidene arginate)iron(II) (nari) have been reported in different binary aqueous solvent mixtures at 298K. The observed reactivity trends are discussed in terms of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic forms of the complexes investigated, as well as the transfer chemical potentials of the hydroxide ion and the complex. Both the solvent–solute and solvent–solvent interactions have been considered. The hydrophobic character of the complexes studied was manifested by a decrease in reactivity. Solvent effect on reactivity trends of the investigated complexes have been analyzed into initial and transition state components. This can be achieved by using the transfer chemical potentials of the reactants and the kinetic data of the studied compounds. The decrease in the observed rate constant values (kobs) of the base hydrolysis of the investigated complexes with increase of solvent% is dominated by the initial state (IS)
Characterization of metallic fuel for minor actinides transmutation in fast reactor
No full textAbstractThe METAPHIX programme is a collaboration between the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI, Japan) and the Joint Research Centre - Institute for Transuranium Elements (JRC-ITU) of the European Commission dedicated to investigate the safety and effectiveness of a closed nuclear fuel cycle based on Minor Actinides (MA: Np, Am, Cm) separation from spent fuel, incorporation in metal alloy fuel and transmutation in fast reactor.Nine Na-bonded experimental pins of metal alloy fuel were prepared at ITU and irradiated at the Phenix reactor (CEA, France) achieving 2.5 at.%, 7 at.% and 10 at.% burn-up. Four metal alloy compositions were irradiated: U-Pu-Zr used as fuel reference, U-Pu-Zr + 5 wt.% MA, U-Pu-Zr + 2 wt.% MA + 2 wt.% Rare Earths (RE: Nd, Y, Ce, Gd), and +5 wt.% MA + 5 wt.% RE, respectively. RE reproduce the expected output of a pyrometallurgical reprocessing facility.Post Irradiation Examination is performed using several techniques, covering properties ranging from the macroscopic morphology of the fuel matrix to the microanalysis of phases and elemental redistribution/segregation. The irradiated fuel is characterized by many phases occurring along the fuel radius. The fuel underwent large redistribution of the fuel constituents (U, Pu, Zr) and many secondary phases are present with a variety of compositions. The distribution of phases in the irradiated fuel containing minor actinides and rare earths is essentially similar to that observed in the basic ternary alloy fuel
An assessment of the lattice strain in the CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy
No full textAbstractThe formation of single phase solid solutions from combinations of multiple principal elements, with differing atomic radii, has led to the suggestion that the lattices of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) must be severely distorted. To assess this hypothesis, total scattering measurements using neutron radiation have been performed on the CrMnFeCoNi alloy and compared with similar data from five compositionally simpler materials within the same system. The Bragg diffraction patterns from all of the studied materials were similar, consistent with a face-centered cubic structure, and none showed the pronounced dampening that would be expected from a highly distorted lattice. A more detailed evaluation of the local lattice strain was made by considering the first six coordination shells in the pair distribution functions (PDF), obtained from the total scattering data. Across this range, the HEA exhibited the broadest PDF peaks but these widths were not disproportionately larger than those of the simpler alloys. In addition, of all the materials considered, the HEA was at the highest homologous temperature, and hence the thermal vibrations of the atoms would be greatest. Consequently, the level of local lattice strain required to rationalise a given PDF peak width would be reduced. As a result, the data presented in this study do not indicate that the local lattice strain in the equiatomic CrMnFeCoNi HEA is anomalously large
Genetically edited pigs lacking CD163 show no resistance following infection with the African swine fever virus isolate, Georgia 2007/1
No full textAbstractAfrican swine fever is a highly contagious, often fatal disease of swine for which there is no vaccine or other curative treatment. The macrophage marker, CD163, is a putative receptor for African swine fever virus (ASFV). Pigs possessing a complete knockout of CD163 on macrophages were inoculated with Georgia 2007/1, a genotype 2 isolate. Knockout and wild type pen mates became infected and showed no differences in clinical signs, mortality, pathology or viremia. There was also no difference following in vitro infection of macrophages. The results do not rule out the possibility that other ASFV strains utilize CD163, but demonstrate that CD163 is not necessary for infection with the Georgia 2007/1 isolate. This work rules out a significant role for CD163 in ASFV infection and creates opportunities to focus on alternative receptors and entry mechanisms
Photoluminescence emission spectra of Makrofol® DE 1-1 upon irradiation with ultraviolet radiation
No full textAbstractPhotoluminescence (PL) emission spectra of Makrofol® DE 1-1 (bisphenol-A based polycarbonate) upon irradiation with ultraviolet radiation of different wavelengths were investigated. The absorption-and attenuation coefficient measurements revealed that the Makrofol® DE 1-1 is characterized by high absorbance in the energy range 6.53–4.43eV but for a lower energy than 4.43eV, it is approximately transparent. Makrofol® DE 1-1 samples were irradiated with ultraviolet radiation of wavelength in the range from 250 (4.28eV) to 400 (3.10eV) nm in step of 10nm and the corresponding photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra were measured with a spectrofluorometer. It is found that the integrated counts and the peak height of the photoluminescence emission (PL) bands are strongly correlated with the ultraviolet radiation wavelength. They are increased at the ultraviolet radiation wavelength 280nm and have maximum at 290nm, thereafter they decrease and diminish at 360nm of ultraviolet wavelength. The position of the PL emission band peak was red shifted starting from 300nm, which increased with the increase the ultraviolet radiation wavelength. The PL bandwidth increases linearly with the increase of the ultraviolet radiation wavelength. When Makrofol® DE 1-1 is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation of short wavelength (UVC), the photoluminescence emission spectra peaks also occur in the UVC but of a relatively longer wavelength. The current new findings should be considered carefully when using Makrofol® DE 1-1 in medical applications related to ultraviolet radiation
Can mesenchymal stem cells be used as a future weapon against breast cancer?
No full textAbstractBackgroundMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are recruited to the stroma of cancers. They interact with cancer cells to promote invasion and metastasis or to suppress tumor growth. The unique tumor-homing capacity of MSCs makes them a promising vehicle to deliver various anticancer agents.AimThe aim of this study was to detect the possibility of using mesenchymal stem cells as a future weapon against breast cancer.MethodsPubMed, PubMed central, Springer and Cochrane databases were searched using specified terms.ResultsLiterature search yielded 17 manuscripts: seven of which suggested the use of MSCs in breast cancer therapy, while six studies raised the possibility that MSCs may promote tumor growth and four other studies assumed a dual role for MSCs.ConclusionsThe role of MSCs in breast cancer therapy is still debatable. We recommend future research in the field of MSCs in Alexandria University as it is our hope in the fight against breast cancer