Gallbladder torsion in pregnancy: a case report and literature review.

Gallbladder torsion is a rare disease that requires immediate surgical intervention to avoid maternal and/or foetal sepsis and death. However, preoperative diagnosis is challenging because the disease has no specific symptoms. A 37-year-old pregnant woman at 34 weeks of gestation presented with severe epigastric pain. Ultrasonography and computed tomography scan findings showed a distended gallbladder without stones, floating from the hepatic bed, and laboratory examination demonstrated normal liver function; therefore, we made a diagnosis of gallbladder torsion and performed a caesarean section and an open cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia. This is the first report wherein gallbladder torsion in pregnancy was diagnosed preoperatively. Gallbladder torsion should be considered as a differential diagnosis in case of such imaging findings

Circadian rhythm of heart rate and physical activity in nurses during day and night shifts

Purpose: The study investigates if the circadian rhythm of heart rate is apparent during the working periods of day and night shifts in Swiss and Japanese nurses and if it is influenced by work organization. For a better interpretation of the heart rate, the activity profile over these working periods was monitored. Methods: Heart rate and activity profile of 18 Swiss and 24 Japanese nurses were measured during oneday and one night shift. The day and the night shift data of each subject were combined, resulting in an approximately 18-h working period. Results: A significant time effect of the mean hourly value of the heart rate was found in Swiss nurses (change in amplitude 7.1bpm) as well as in Japanese nurses (11.8bpm). These effects could be modeled with cosine curves for the Swiss and Japanese subjects. For the activity level significant time effects, similar to the ones in heart rate, were found in Swiss nurses (87% of SD) but not in Japanese nurses (26% of SD). Conclusions: We found a significant time effect in heart rate similar to the known circadian rhythm under normal sleep-wake conditions while working in the studied shift work schedules. In the Japanese nurses, studied heart rate followed a circadian rhythm independently of the level of physical activity. Therefore, an activity profile following the circadian rhythm, especially a reduced workload from 2 to 4 a.m., is proposed. The proposed activity profile could be reached with an adapted work organization

Erratum to: Circadian rhythm of heart rate and physical activity in nurses during day and night shifts

ISSN:1439-6319ISSN:0301-5548ISSN:1439-632

Circadian rhythm of heart rate and physical activity in nurses during day and night shifts

Purpose The study investigates if the circadian rhythm of heart rate is apparent during the working periods of day and night shifts in Swiss and Japanese nurses and if it is influenced by work organization. For a better interpretation of the heart rate, the activity profile over these working periods was monitored. Methods Heart rate and activity profile of 18 Swiss and 24 Japanese nurses were measured during one day and one night shift. The day and the night shift data of each subject were combined, resulting in an approximately 18-h working period. Results A significant time effect of the mean hourly value of the heart rate was found in Swiss nurses (change in amplitude 7.1 bpm) as well as in Japanese nurses (11.8 bpm). These effects could be modeled with cosine curves for the Swiss and Japanese subjects. For the activity level significant time effects, similar to the ones in heart rate, were found in Swiss nurses (87 % of SD) but not in Japanese nurses (26 % of SD). Conclusions We found a significant time effect in heart rate similar to the known circadian rhythm under normal sleep–wake conditions while working in the studied shift work schedules. In the Japanese nurses, studied heart rate followed a circadian rhythm independently of the level of physical activity. Therefore, an activity profile following the circadian rhythm, especially a reduced workload from 2 to 4 a.m., is proposed. The proposed activity profile could be reached with an adapted work organization.ISSN:1439-6319ISSN:0301-5548ISSN:1439-632

Implication of IZUMO2 in the cell‐in‐cell phenomenon: A potential therapeutic target for triple‐negative breast cancer

Abstract Background Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the loss of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. The aggressive clinicopathological features and resistance to currently available therapeutics of the disease warrant an urgent need for the development of novel alternate therapeutic options. We have previously reported adiponectin‐expressing regulatory T cells (A‐Tregs), which can induce apoptosis in TNBC through the cell‐in‐cell phenomenon. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the molecule that allows TNBC cells to engulf A‐Tregs. Methods A monoclonal antibody, which repressed the engulfment of A‐Tregs by TNBC cells, was developed. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry and small interfering RNAs‐mediated gene silencing was performed to characterize the antigen. Results We successfully generated a monoclonal antibody, designated G1D7, which abrogated the engulfment of A‐Tregs by TNBC and subsequent A‐Treg‐mediated apoptosis. G1D7 detected the immunoglobulin‐like type I membrane protein IZUMO2, a molecule related to IZUMO1 that is essential for cell–cell membrane binding and fusion of sperm to oocyte. Conclusion The findings highlight the importance of IZUMO2 on TNBC cells in facilitating the cell‐in‐cell phenomenon by A‐Tregs