A Rare Case of Occipital Stroke as a Consequence of Nonbacterial Thrombotic Endocarditis in Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

Hypercoagulability occurs in 15% of patients with malignancy and represents a clinical spectrum ranging from abnormal coagulation tests but no clinically evident thromboembolic disease, to arterial and venous thrombosis, migratory thrombophlebitis, nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) and disseminated intravascular coagulation. The combination of increased procoagulant activity and decreased fibrinolytic activity accelerates the prothrombotic potential of endothelial cells in malignancy. NBTE is a rare manifestation of cancer-induced hypercoagulability and is commonly seen with mucin-producing adenocarcinomas, but rarely seen with ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC). Cerebrovascular embolization ranges from 14–91% in NBTE. We report a rare case of a 62-year-old female presenting with occipital stroke as a consequence of NBTE in OCCC. Association of NBTE in OCCC has only been reported in 2 cases so far, but presentation with stroke has never been reported in the literature

Preliminary Observations on Livestock Productivity in sheep Fed Exclusively on Haulms from eleven Cultivars of Groundnut

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) haulms provide important fodder resources for livestock feeding in mixed croplivestock systems in developing countries (Larbi et al. 1999, Rama Devi et al. 2000, Omokanye et al. 2001). In these systems fodder shortage is considered one of the major constraints to high livestock productivity and its corollary, high income from the marketing of livestock products. Shrinking common property resources and the little or no scope to expand arable land are further limiting the availability of fodder resources in the rainfed semi-arid tropics. These factors are increasing the value of groundnut as a food-feed crop for which both pod and haulm yields and quality traits are important. Improving the productivity of groundnut can address pod as well as haulm traits, but there is a lack of information on the variability amongst cultivars for the fodder quality of their haulms. This work reported here investigated the variability in cultivar-dependent fodder quality of groundnut haulms through measurement of productivity parameters of young sheep

Observations on Livestock Productivity in Sheep Fed Exclusively on Haulms from Ten Different Genotypes of Groundnut

Haulms from 10 different genotypes of groundnut were tested with growing male sheep for digestibility, intake, nitrogen retention and live weight gains. Very high daily intake levels of > 4% of sheep bodyweight were observed in all haulms. Nitrogen retention (range: 6.7 to 11.4 g/d) and live weight gains (range: 65 to 137 g/d) varied about two fold among genotypes suggesting that the choice of groundnut genotype can have a very significant effect on livestock productivity in feeding systems based on groundnut haulms. Haulm fodder quality difference were well reflected by acid detergent lignin (ADL), which accounted for 58, 39 and 72% of the variation in haulm in vivo digestibility, nitrogen retention and live weight gains, respectively. Using stepwise multiple regression procedures, combinations of haulm ADL content and in vitro digestibility and of haulm ADL content and in vitro metabolisable energy content accounted for 84% and 92% of the variation in in vivo digestibility and live weight gain, respectively. The combination of haulm nitrogen and ADL content accounted for 80% of the variation in nitrogen retention. Among the genotypes, ICGV 89104), ICGV 91114), TMV 2 and ICGV 92093 promoted highest productivity in shee

Price-quality relationships for the main livestock feed types in the Ethiopian feed market

This study assessed the price-quality relationships for the major feed products in Ethiopia with a view to informing policy makers on possible avenues to develop the livestock feed sector in the country. A survey of livestock feed markets was conducted from April to May 2019 in five regions (Amhara, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Oromia, Tigray and Addis Ababa). A total of 1700 feed samples with their respective price information were collected from 202 marketplaces. The collected samples were analyzed for their crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) content. Results showed considerable variability in quality within the same feed type. Pearson correlation and regression analyses showed that price-quality relationships for the feed samples were either very weak or non-existent. Wheat bran showed a weak price to quality correlation for CP (r= 0.200 at P<0.01), ME (r= 0.202 at P<0.01) and IVOMD (r= 0.221 at P<0.01). Among the roughages, grass hay showed slight positive price to ME correlation (r= 0.382 at P<0.001) and a slight negative relationship with ADF (r=-0.336 at p<0.005). The results of this study indicated that quality attributes have no, or a limited role in setting market prices for most feed types in the Ethiopian feed market. The fact that both good and poor-quality feeds are sold under the same label and market value affects both traders and livestock producers. Therefore, it is important to build national feed analytical capabilities to allow quality of feeds to be checked against national feed standards, particularly for concentrate feeds

90Y Radioembolization for Hepatic Malignancy in Patients with Previous Biliary Intervention: Multicenter Analysis of Hepatobiliary Infections

PurposeTo determine the frequency of hepatobiliary infections after transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with yttrium 90 (90Y) in patients with liver malignancy and a history of biliary intervention.Materials and MethodsFor this retrospective study, records of all consecutive patients with liver malignancy and history of biliary intervention treated with TARE at 14 centers between 2005 and 2015 were reviewed. Data regarding liver function, 90Y dosimetry, antibiotic prophylaxis, and bowel preparation prophylaxis were collected. Primary outcome was development of hepatobiliary infection.ResultsOne hundred twenty-six patients (84 men, 42 women; mean age, 68.8 years) with primary (n = 39) or metastatic (n = 87) liver malignancy and history of biliary intervention underwent 180 procedures with glass (92 procedures) or resin (88 procedures) microspheres. Hepatobiliary infections (liver abscesses in nine patients, cholangitis in five patients) developed in 10 of the 126 patients (7.9%) after 11 of the 180 procedures (6.1%; nine of those procedures were performed with glass microspheres). All patients required hospitalization (median stay, 12 days; range, 2–113 days). Ten patients required percutaneous abscess drainage, three patients underwent endoscopic stent placement and stone removal, and one patient needed insertion of percutaneous biliary drains. Infections resolved in five patients, four patients died (two from infection and two from cancer progression while infection was being treated), and one patient continued to receive suppressive antibiotics. Use of glass microspheres (P = .02), previous liver resection or ablation (P = .02), and younger age (P = .003) were independently predictive of higher infection risk.ConclusionInfectious complications such as liver abscess and cholangitis are uncommon but serious complications of transarterial radioembolization with 90Y in patients with liver malignancy and a history of biliary intervention.© RSNA, 2018Online supplemental material is available for this article

Inhaled corticosteroids in childhood asthma: the story continues

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the most effective anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of persistent asthma in children. Treatment with ICS decreases asthma mortality and morbidity, reduces symptoms, improves lung function, reduces bronchial hyperresponsiveness and reduces the number of exacerbations. The efficacy of ICS in preschool wheezing is controversial. A recent task force from the European Respiratory Society on preschool wheeze defined two different phenotypes: episodic viral wheeze, wheeze that occurs only during respiratory viral infections, and multiple-trigger wheeze, where wheeze also occurs in between viral episodes. Treatment with ICS appears to be more efficacious in the latter phenotype. Small particle ICS may offer a potential benefit in preschool children because of the favourable spray characteristics. However, the efficacy of small particle ICS in preschool children has not yet been evaluated in prospective clinical trials. The use of ICS in school children with asthma is safe with regard to systemic side effects on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, growth and bone metabolism, when used in low to medium doses. Although safety data in wheezing preschoolers is limited, the data are reassuring. Also for this age group, adverse events tend to be minimal when the ICS is used in appropriate doses

Nucleolin Inhibits G4 Oligonucleotide Unwinding by Werner Helicase

The Werner protein (WRNp), a member of the RecQ helicase family, is strongly associated with the nucleolus, as is nucleolin (NCL), an important nucleolar constituent protein. Both WRNp and NCL respond to the effects of DNA damaging agents. Therefore, we have investigated if these nuclear proteins interact and if this interaction has a possible functional significance in DNA damage repair.Here we report that WRNp interacts with the RNA-binding protein, NCL, based on immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescent co-localization in live and fixed cells, and direct binding of purified WRNp to nucleolin. We also map the binding region to the C-terminal domains of both proteins. Furthermore, treatment of U2OS cells with 15 µM of the Topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin, causes the dissociation of the nucleolin-Werner complex in the nucleolus, followed by partial re-association in the nucleoplasm. Other DNA damaging agents, such as hydroxyurea, Mitomycin C, and aphidicolin do not have these effects. Nucleolin or its C-terminal fragment affected the helicase, but not the exonuclease activity of WRNp, by inhibiting WRN unwinding of G4 tetraplex DNA structures, as seen in activity assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA).These data suggest that nucleolin may regulate G4 DNA unwinding by WRNp, possibly in response to certain DNA damaging agents. We postulate that the NCL-WRNp complex may contain an inactive form of WRNp, which is released from the nucleolus upon DNA damage. Then, when required, WRNp is released from inhibition and can participate in the DNA repair processes