Magnetic resonance imaging pattern recognition in childhood bilateral basal ganglia disorders

Bilateral basal ganglia abnormalities on MRI are observed in a wide variety of childhood disorders. MRI pattern recognition can enable rationalization of investigations and also complement clinical and molecular findings, particularly confirming genomic findings and also enabling new gene discovery. A pattern recognition approach in children with bilateral basal ganglia abnormalities on brain MRI was undertaken in this international multicentre cohort study. Three hundred and five MRI scans belonging to 201 children with 34 different disorders were rated using a standard radiological scoring proforma. In addition, literature review on MRI patterns was undertaken in these 34 disorders and 59 additional disorders reported with bilateral basal ganglia MRI abnormalities. Cluster analysis on first MRI findings from the study cohort grouped them into four clusters: Cluster 1—T2-weighted hyperintensities in the putamen; Cluster 2—T2-weighted hyperintensities or increased MRI susceptibility in the globus pallidus; Cluster 3—T2-weighted hyperintensities in the globus pallidus, brainstem and cerebellum with diffusion restriction; Cluster 4—T1-weighted hyperintensities in the basal ganglia. The 34 diagnostic categories included in this study showed dominant clustering in one of the above four clusters. Inflammatory disorders grouped together in Cluster 1. Mitochondrial and other neurometabolic disorders were distributed across clusters 1, 2 and 3, according to lesions dominantly affecting the striatum (Cluster 1: glutaric aciduria type 1, propionic acidaemia, 3-methylglutaconic aciduria with deafness, encephalopathy and Leigh-like syndrome and thiamine responsive basal ganglia disease associated with SLC19A3), pallidum (Cluster 2: methylmalonic acidaemia, Kearns Sayre syndrome, pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency) or pallidum, brainstem and cerebellum (Cluster 3: vigabatrin toxicity, Krabbe disease). The Cluster 4 pattern was exemplified by distinct T1-weighted hyperintensities in the basal ganglia and other brain regions in genetically determined hypermanganesemia due to SLC39A14 and SLC30A10. Within the clusters, distinctive basal ganglia MRI patterns were noted in acquired disorders such as cerebral palsy due to hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy in full-term babies, kernicterus and vigabatrin toxicity and in rare genetic disorders such as 3-methylglutaconic aciduria with deafness, encephalopathy and Leigh-like syndrome, thiamine responsive basal ganglia disease, pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration, TUBB4A and hypermanganesemia. Integrated findings from the study cohort and literature review were used to propose a diagnostic algorithm to approach bilateral basal ganglia abnormalities on MRI. After integrating clinical summaries and MRI findings from the literature review, we developed a prototypic decision-making electronic tool to be tested using further cohorts and clinical practice

Cathelicidin-BF, a Snake Cathelicidin-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide, Could Be an Excellent Therapeutic Agent for Acne Vulgaris

Cathelicidins are a family of antimicrobial peptides acting as multifunctional effector molecules in innate immunity. Cathelicidin-BF has been purified from the snake venoms of Bungarus fasciatus and it is the first identified cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide in reptiles. In this study, cathelicidin-BF was found exerting strong antibacterial activities against Propionibacterium acnes. Its minimal inhibitory concentration against two strains of P. acnes was 4.7 µg/ml. Cathelicidin-BF also effectively killed other microorganisms including Staphylococcus epidermidis, which was possible pathogen for acne vulgaris. Cathelicidin-BF significantly inhibited pro-inflammatory factors secretion in human monocytic cells and P. acnes-induced O2.− production of human HaCaT keratinocyte cells. Observed by scanning electron microscopy, the surfaces of the treated pathogens underwent obvious morphological changes compared with the untreated controls, suggesting that this antimicrobial peptide exerts its action by disrupting membranes of microorganisms. The efficacy of cathelicidin-BF gel topical administering was evaluated in experimental mice skin colonization model. In vivo anti-inflammatory effects of cathelicidin-BF were confirmed by relieving P. acnes-induced mice ear swelling and granulomatous inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effects combined with potent antimicrobial activities and O2.− production inhibition activities of cathelicidin-BF indicate its potential as a novel therapeutic option for acne vulgaris

Vaccination Targeting a Surface Sialidase of P. acnes: Implication for New Treatment of Acne Vulgaris

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris afflicts more than fifty million people in the United State and the severity of this disorder is associated with the immune response to Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). Systemic therapies for acne target P. acnes using antibiotics, or target the follicle with retinoids such as isotretinoin. The latter systemic treatment is highly effective but also carries a risk of side effects including immune imbalance, hyperlipidemia, and teratogenicity. Despite substantial research into potential new therapies for this common disease, vaccines against acne vulgaris are not yet available. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here we create an acne vaccine targeting a cell wall-anchored sialidase of P. acnes. The importance of sialidase to disease pathogenesis is shown by treatment of a human sebocyte cell line with recombinant sialidase that increased susceptibility to P. acnes cytotoxicity and adhesion. Mice immunized with sialidase elicit a detectable antibody; the anti-sialidase serum effectively neutralized the cytotoxicity of P. acnes in vitro and P. acnes-induced interleukin-8 (IL-8) production in human sebocytes. Furthermore, the sialidase-immunized mice provided protective immunity against P. acnes in vivo as this treatment blocked an increase in ear thickness and release of pro-inflammatory macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-2) cytokine. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that acne vaccines open novel therapeutic avenues for acne vulgaris and other P. acnes-associated diseases

Manifestaciones del síndrome de Down para su atención clínica odontológica

Introducción: El síndrome de Down es la aberración cromosómica más prevalente. En el 95% de los casos hay un cromosoma extra libre (trisomía 21). Los otros casos tienen el cromosoma adicional fijado a otro cromosoma (translocación). Existe una mayor incidencia de esta alteración a medida que aumenta la edad de la madre. Debido a que gran parte de las alteraciones clínicas del síndrome de Down se manifiestan en la región orofacial, el objetivo es concientizar al odontólogo acerca de la importancia de las manifestaciones clínicas, sistémicas y bucales que lo caracterizan. Dentro de las manifestaciones generales se destacan perfil facial plano, reflejo de moro disminuido, hipotonía, fisuras palpebrales oblicuas, anomalías del pabellón auricular, clinodactilia, pliegue palmar simiano, talla pequeña, retardo mental, alteraciones cardiacas congénitas .Las manifestaciones orales son variables. La boca se observa pequeña y entreabierta exteriorizando una macroglosia con depapilación y protrusión lingual. El prolapso lingual favorece la eversión del labio inferior, encontrándose agrietado. El labio superior se evidencia corto y la comisura labial descendida. Generalmente poseen respiración bucal que conduce a un inadecuado desarrollo del paladar, siendo motivo de sequedad en las mucosas, lo que da lugar a estomatitis y queilitis angular. El mayor riesgo de gingivitis implica que manifiesten con frecuencia enfermedad periodontal, incluso a edades tempranas de forma agresiva. Comúnmente presentan alteraciones dentarias tales como hipoplasia del esmalte, microdoncia, agenesia, retraso eruptivo y maloclusiones, pudiéndose encontrar mordida cruzada posterior, mordida abierta anterior. El conocimiento de las manifestaciones que estos pacientes presentan es muy relevante dado que hacen posible una adecuada atención integral, con el propósito de mejorar la salud bucal y aumentar la calidad de vida de estos niños.Facultad de Odontología (FOLP

Cotton in the new millennium: advances, economics, perceptions and problems

Cotton is the most significant natural fibre and has been a preferred choice of the textile industry and consumers since the industrial revolution began. The share of man-made fibres, both regenerated and synthetic fibres, has grown considerably in recent times but cotton production has also been on the rise and accounts for about half of the fibres used for apparel and textile goods. To cotton’s advantage, the premium attached to the presence of cotton fibre and the general positive consumer perception is well established, however, compared to commodity man-made fibres and high performance fibres, cotton has limitations in terms of its mechanical properties but can help to overcome moisture management issues that arise with performance apparel during active wear. This issue of Textile Progress aims to: i. Report on advances in cotton cultivation and processing as well as improvements to conventional cotton cultivation and ginning. The processing of cotton in the textile industry from fibre to finished fabric, cotton and its blends, and their applications in technical textiles are also covered. ii. Explore the economic impact of cotton in different parts of the world including an overview of global cotton trade. iii. Examine the environmental perception of cotton fibre and efforts in organic and genetically-modified (GM) cotton production. The topic of naturally-coloured cotton, post-consumer waste is covered and the environmental impacts of cotton cultivation and processing are discussed. Hazardous effects of cultivation, such as the extensive use of pesticides, insecticides and irrigation with fresh water, and consequences of the use of GM cotton and cotton fibres in general on the climate are summarised and the effects of cotton processing on workers are addressed. The potential hazards during cotton cultivation, processing and use are also included. iv. Examine how the properties of cotton textiles can be enhanced, for example, by improving wrinkle recovery and reducing the flammability of cotton fibre

Manufacture Techniques of Chitosan-Based Microcapsules to Enhance Functional Properties of Textiles

In recent years, the textile industry has been moving to novel concepts of products, which could deliver to the user, improved performances. Such smart textiles have been proven to have the potential to integrate within a commodity garment advanced feature and functional properties of different kinds. Among those functionalities, considerable interest has been played in functionalizing commodity garments in order to make them positively interact with the human body and therefore being beneficial to the user health. This kind of functionalization generally exploits biopolymers, a class of materials that possess peculiar properties such as biocompatibility and biodegradability that make them suitable for bio-functional textile production. In the context of biopolymer chitosan has been proved to be an excellent potential candidate for this kind of application given its abundant availability and its chemical properties that it positively interacts with biological tissue. Notwithstanding the high potential of chitosan-based technologies in the textile sectors, several issues limit the large-scale production of such innovative garments. In facts the morphologies of chitosan structures should be optimized in order to make them better exploit the biological activity; moreover a suitable process for the application of chitosan structures to the textile must be designed. The application process should indeed not only allow an effective and durable fixation of chitosan to textile but also comply with environmental rules concerning pollution emission and utilization of harmful substances. This chapter reviews the use of microencapsulation technique as an approach to effectively apply chitosan to the textile material while overcoming the significant limitations of finishing processes. The assembly of chitosan macromolecules into microcapsules was proved to boost the biological properties of the polymer thanks to a considerable increase in the surface area available for interactions with the living tissues. Moreover, the incorporation of different active substances into chitosan shells allows the design of multifunctional materials that effectively combine core and shell properties. Based on the kind of substances to be incorporated, several encapsulation processes have been developed. The literature evidences how the proper choices concerning encapsulation technology, chemical formulations, and process parameter allow tuning the properties and the performances of the obtained microcapsules. Furthermore, the microcapsules based finishing process have been reviewed evidencing how the microcapsules morphology can positively interact with textile substrate allowing an improvement in the durability of the treatment. The application of the chitosan shelled microcapsules was proved to be capable of imparting different functionalities to textile substrates opening possibilities for a new generation of garments with improved performances and with the potential of protecting the user from multiple harms. Lastly, a continuous interest was observed in improving the process and formulation design in order to avoid the usage of toxic substances, therefore, complying with an environmentally friendly approach

Use of first person pronouns: A corpus based study of journal articles

Scientific writing is traditionally thought to be impersonal. Therefore, it is not surprising for academicians to see the encouragement of the use of impersonal constructions in scientific articles by most of style manuals. This study is based on an investigation of the use of first person pronouns in journal articles. In many of such scientific articles, personal pronouns I and we can both be seen as a choice for authors to stand their involvement in their writings. In this study, a comparison of 16 articles published between 2000-2005 in the Social Sciences Journal of Cukurova University (SSJC) and English Language Teaching Journal (ELTJ) to determine the frequency of occurrence of first person pronouns I and we. Moreover, the semantic references of these pronouns as inclusive and exclusive according to the way they are used in these articles were investigated. In the light of the results, it is clear that writers of ELTJ used first person pronouns more than those of writers of SSJC. Among the first person pronouns, I was used more than we by writers of ELTJ whereas we was used more than I by scientific writers of SSJC. Scientific writers of ELTJ mostly preferred using exclusive we whereas scientific writers of SSJC preferred using inclusive we. It is concluded that pronoun use is an important aspect of scientific writing and should be included in the curriculum to raise awareness of learners to use them effectively in their scientific texts. © Sila Science. All rights reserved

Comparison of mean yield components and fiber quality parameters of advanced bulk generations in F2, F3 and F4 interspecific and intraspecific cotton populations

The performance of interspecific and intraspecific cotton hybrid populations were compared to investigate the correlation among the F2, F3 and F4 bulk generations in terms of yield, lint percentage, and fiber quality from 2009 to 2011. In addition, the effect of combining abilities on hybrid performance were investigated at further generations. For this purpose, nine interspecific and six intraspecific hybrids with eight parents were evaluated under the west part of Turkey (Aegean region) environmental conditions. With the generation progresses, the highest drops in fiber length and fiber strength were detected in interspecific due to the inbreeding depression and genetic breakdown in advanced populations. Based on 15 tested hybrids, the observed mean yield and fiber quality in the F2 do not adequately predict the performance of hybrids in the F4 generation. Thus, selection of individual plants should be delayed until the F4 generation especially for interspecific hybrids, but individual plants would be selected at early generation in intraspecific hybrid populations. In the study it was found that a higher general combining ability (GCA) does not necessarily confer a higher specific combining ability (SCA) and that the GCA and SCA were independent of one another, and that in F4 high yielded hybrid population was obtained from cross which at least one parent of hybrid has maximum positive GCA effects. These results indicated that instead of using only one criteria, the F2 performance for intraspecific hybrids and the F3 performance for interspecific hybrids, low heterosis and inbreeding depression, combining ability of parents could be used together to determine the most promising hybrid populations to be used as a source for further selection. © 2017, Society of Field Crops Science. All rights reserved