Milwaukee shoulder-knee syndrome: A case report

WOS: 000258756000008Basic calsium phospate crystals frequently may form asymptomatic deposits that may give rise to several clinical syndromes, including calsific periarthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, Milwaukee shoulder syndrome, osteoarthritis, calcific tendinitis and bursitis, and mixed crystal deposition in and around joints. Milwaukee shoulder syndrome is a well defined clinical entity that can be observed particular in older women. It is a destructive arthropathy associated with the deposition of cristals, rotator cuff tear, and joint instability. Clinical features include pain, swelling and progressive functional impairment

The Association Between Follicular Fluid Sialic Acid Levels, Oocyte Quality, and Pregnancy Rates

Sialic acid residues perform important roles in both physiological and pathologic processes. Our aim was to measure the levels of sialic acid in the follicular fluid of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to assess correlations between IVF parameters and sialic acid levels. All women meeting the inclusion criteria underwent gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment and during oocyte retrieval, follicular fluids of mature follicles were collected and pooled for each patient. Correlation analysis was made between sialic acid levels and oocyte quality. Eighty-seven patients meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled. In terms of oocyte quality and sialic acid, follicular fluid total sialic acid (FF-TSA) levels positively correlated with germinal vesicle oocytes and metaphase I oocytes. In terms of clinical parameters, no correlation between sialic acid levels and body mass index, serum levels of hormones, duration of infertility, and the total dose of gonadotropins was observed. The mean FF-TSA was 86.1 +/- 35.19 mg/dl in the clinical pregnancy positive group and was 73.64 +/- 22.15 mg/dl in the clinical pregnancy negative group. FF-TSA levels positively correlated with immature oocytes. This can be either as part of the normal oocyte maturation or as a compensatory mechanism against reactive oxygen species during the oocyte maturation process

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel isoxazole-piperazine hybrids as potential anti-cancer agents with inhibitory effect on liver cancer stem cells

In our effort for the development of novel anticancer therapeutics, a series of isoxazole-piperazine analogues were prepared, and primarily screened for their antiproliferative potential against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; Huh7/Mahlavu) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells. All compounds demonstrated potent to moderate cytotoxicity on all cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 0.09-11.7 mu M. Further biological studies with 6a and 13d in HCC cells have shown that both compounds induced G1 or G2/M arrests resulting in apoptotic cell death. Subsequent analysis of proteins involved in cell cycle progression as well as proliferation of HCC cells revealed that 6a and 13d may affect cellular survival pathways differently depending on the mutation profiles of cells (p53 and PTEN), epidermal/ mesenchymal characteristics, and activation of cell mechanisms through p53 dependent/independent pathways. Lastly, we have demonstrated the potential anti-stemness properties of these compounds in which the proportion of liver CSCs in Huh7 cells (CD133+/EpCAM+) were significantly reduced by 6a and 13d. Furthermore, both compounds caused a significant reduction in expression of stemness markers, NANOG or OCT4 proteins, in Mahlavu and Huh7 cells, as well as resulted in a decreased sphere formation capacity in Huh7 cells. Together, these novel isoxazole-piperazine derivatives may possess potential as leads for development of effective anti-cancer drugs against HCC cells with stem cell-like properties

Transcriptome profiles associated with selenium-deficiency-dependent oxidative stress identify potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in liver cancer cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancer types with high mortality rates and displays increased resistance to various stress conditions such as oxidative stress. Conventional therapies have low efficacies due to resistance and off-target effects in HCC. Here we aimed to analyze oxidative stress-related gene expression profiles of HCC cells and identify genes that could be crucial for novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. To identify important genes that cause resistance to reactive oxygen species (ROS), a model of oxidative stress upon selenium (Se) deficiency was utilized. The results of transcriptome-wide gene expression data were analyzed in which the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between HCC cell lines that are either resistant or sensitive to Se-deficiency-dependent oxidative stress. These DEGs were further investigated for their importance in oxidative stress resistance by network analysis methods, and 27 genes were defined to have key roles; 16 of which were previously shown to have impact on liver cancer patient survival. These genes might have Se-deficiency-dependent roles in hepatocarcinogenesis and could be further exploited for their potentials as novel targets for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Key words: Hepatocellular carcinoma, selenium, oxidative stress, transcriptome-wid

The Effect of Phenylalanine Restricted Diet on Anthropometric Parameters in Classical Phenylketonuria Patients

Objective: Classical phenylketonuria (PKU) is on inherited disorder of amino acid metabolism. Since treatment at an early stage is the most important factor effecting prognosis of the disease, the disease is screened with newborn screening program in our and in many countries as well. The basis of treatment is a life-long phenylalanine-restricted diet. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of phenylalanine-restricted diet on anthropometric parameters of patients with the diagnosis of phenylketonuri

Dynamic Tuning of Plasmonic Hot‐Spot Generation through Cilia‐Inspired Magnetic Actuators

Soft actuators that draw inspiration from nature are powerful and versatile tools for both technological applications and fundamental research, yet their use in hot‐spot engineering is very limited. Conventional hot‐spot engineering methods still suffer from complexity, high process cost, and static generation of hot‐spots, thus, underperforming particularly in the application side. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy based on plasmonic nanoparticles decorated cilia‐inspired magnetic actuators that enable highly accessible millimeter‐sized hot‐spot generation via bending motion under a magnetic field. The hot‐spot formation is shown to be reversible and tunable, and leads to excellent Raman signal enhancements of up to ≈120 folds compared to the unactuated platforms. Accessible electromagnetic field magnification in the platforms can be manipulated by controlling magnetic field strength, which is further supported by finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. As a proof‐of‐concept demonstration, a centipede‐inspired robot is fabricated and used for sample collection/analysis in a target environment. Our results demonstrate an effective strategy in soft actuator platforms for reversible and tunable large‐area hot‐spot formation, which provides a promising guidance toward studying the fundamentals of hot‐spot generation and advancing real‐life plasmonic applications

Synthesis and cellular bioactivities of novel isoxazole derivatives incorporating an arylpiperazine moiety as anticancer agents

In our endeavour towards the development of effective anticancer therapeutics, a novel series of isoxazole-piperazine hybrids were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against human liver (Huh7 and Mahlavu) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. Within series, compounds 51-o showed the most potent cytotoxicity on all cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 0.3-3.7 mu M. To explore the mechanistic aspects fundamental to the observed activity, further biological studies with 5m and 5o in liver cancer cells were carried out. We have demonstrated that 5m and 5o induce oxidative stress in PTEN adequate Huh7 and PTEN deficient Mahlavu human liver cancer cells leading to apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at different phases. Further analysis of the proteins involved in apoptosis and cell cycle revealed that 5m and 5o caused an inhibition of cell survival pathway through Akt hyperphosphorylation and apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through p53 protein activation

Pre-Treatment and Post-Treatment Anxiety, Depression, Sleep and Sexual Function Levels in Patients with Breast Cancer

Objective: In the phase of diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer cases, patients can usually experience sexual dysfunctions, sleep disorders and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. The main objective of our research is to study of the pre-treatment and post-treatment anxiety, depression, sleep and sexual function levels in the patients with breast cancer