Rare appearance of Candida tropicalis infection of the brain: Multiple micro-abscesses combined with diffuse hemorrhages

AbstractWe report a case of cerebral Candida tropicalis infection in a middle-aged patient who suffered from multiple cerebral micro-abscesses associated with diffuse hemorrhage due to perforation of esophagus. MRI revealed multiple irregular, nodular, ring-like enhancing lesions with restricted diffusion and multiple micro-hemorrhages as well as some leptomeningeal enhancements. Blood, sputum and urine cultures showed Candida tropicalis. The lesions were resolved after the patient was given early and effective treatment of anti-fungal medicine. The imaging findings provided limited differential diagnosis, leading to early diagnosis and treatment for this patient

1-[1-(Hydroxy­imino)eth­yl]-N-(2-methoxy­phen­yl)cyclo­propane­carboxamide

The title compound, C13H16N2O3, adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond and an intra­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bond results in the formation of a six-membered ring. In the crystal, inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into a chain propagating along the b axis. Very weak π–π stacking inter­actions [centroid–centroid distance = 4.18 (2) Å] may further consolidate the packing, forming a two-dimensional supra­molecular network

The clinicopathological factors associated with disease progression in Luminal a breast cancer and characteristics of metastasis: A retrospective study from a single center in China

Background/Aim: This study investigated the clinicopathological factors associated with outcomes in patients with Luminal A breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Retrospective analysis of the association of clinicopathological factors and breast cancer outcome in 421 patients with newly diagnosed Luminal-A breast cancer that were enrolled from January 2008 to December 2014. Clinicopathological data were analyzed to validate the relationship with disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to analyze the value of clinicopathological factors (tumor size, node status and lymphovascular invasion), and subsequent Cox regression analysis revealed significant prognostic factors. Results: With a median of 61 months follow up, the 5-year DFS and 5-year OS rate were 98.3% and 99.3%. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that clinical anatomic stage, tumor size, status of lymph nodes, lymphovascular invasion and systemic treatment are strong prognostic factors for clinical outcome in patients with Luminal-A breast cancer. Of all 413 patients with stage I-III breast cancer, 14 presented with metastasis (3.4%) during the follow up. Bone (6/14, 42.9%) was the most common site of metastasis followed by liver (5/14, 35.7%) and lung (4/14, 28.6%). The median survival time after metastasis was 20.4 months. Of all the sites of distant metastasis, liver metastasis was the only factor that affected survival time after metastasis (χ2=6.263, p=0.012). Conclusion: Patients with Luminal A breast cancer have excellent outcomes. Liver metastasis is an important factor compressing the survival time after distant metastasis presents

Activation of the Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling Is Critical for Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteogenic Differentiation

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) are recognized as candidate progenitor cells for bone regeneration. However, the mechanism of hUCMSC osteogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we revealed that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling is involved in hUCMSC osteogenic differentiation in vitro. Particularly, the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p38 signaling pathways maintained a consistent level in hUCMSCs through the entire 21-day osteogenic differentiation period. At the same time, the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) signaling significantly increased from day 5, peaked at day 9, and declined thereafter. Moreover, gene profiling of osteogenic markers, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity measurement, and alizarin red staining demonstrated that the application of U0126, a specific inhibitor for ERK activation, completely prohibited hUCMSC osteogenic differentiation. However, when U0126 was removed from the culture at day 9, ERK activation and osteogenic differentiation of hUCMSCs were partially recovered. Together, these findings demonstrate that the activation of ERK signaling is essential for hUCMSC osteogenic differentiation, which points out the significance of ERK signaling pathway to regulate the osteogenic differentiation of hUCMSCs as an alternative cell source for bone tissue engineering. Copyright © 2016 Chen-Shuang Li et al

Case report: Synchronous tumors of the female reproductive tract in systemic lupus erythematosus: report of two cases and review of the literature

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects multiple systems. Patients with SLE are prone to a variety of malignancies, especially neoplasms of the female reproductive tract. Synchronous tumors, considered to involve multiple sites, are rare in the female reproductive tract. There are hardly any reports of SLE with synchronous reproductive tract tumors.Case presentationWe report the occurrence of two to three reproductive tract tumors in two women with SLE. A 52-year-old woman was diagnosed with vulvar cancer and cervical cancer. Another woman, aged 67, was diagnosed with concurrent vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, and cervical cancer and also presented with a suspected lung cancer.ConclusionThe presence of synchronous tumors of the reproductive tract in patients with SLE is uncommon and can be easily disregarded. It is crucial to highlight that SLE patients with multiple primary malignancies exhibit notable late-stage presentation at the time of diagnosis, inadequate disease-free survival, poor overall survival, rapid progression rates, and mortality. Consequently, greater awareness must be raised regarding synchronous reproductive tract tumors in patients with SLE. Regular comprehensive cancer screening and management should be implemented for individuals diagnosed with SLE

Effect of Ultrasonic Treatment Combined with Peracetic Acid Treatment Reduces Decay and Maintains Quality in Loquat Fruit

The effects of ultrasonic treatment (UT, 400 watts for 6 min) combined with peracetic acid (PA, 0.4% (W/W)) treatment on fruit decay, browning, and quality and physiological changes in loquat fruit stored at 20°C were investigated. The results showed that treatment with UT or PA alone significantly reduced both decay and browning index in loquat fruit compared with the control. The combined treatment was more effective in decreasing decay and browning index and maintaining higher quality parameters than UT or PA treatment alone. Loquat fruits treated with the combined treatment maintained higher activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) than those treated with other treatments. In addition, UT combined with PA treatment significantly reduced the increase of firmness and increased fruit extractable juice, total soluble solid (TSS), and ascorbic acid content in loquat fruit. Moreover, the contents of total phenolics and total flavonoids were enhanced by the combination of UT and PA treatment. The combination of UT and PA treatment could be a useful method to reduce decay and browning in loquat fruit stored at room temperature, which has potential for application in the loquat industry