Short-segment jejunal carcinoma mimicking multiple lesions of the small bowel at capsule endoscopy

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Comparison of the standard laryngeal mask airway and the ProSeal laryngeal mask airway in obese patients

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The antitumor drug, 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitroso-urea, inactivates human nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) adenylyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.1) from human placenta is rapidly inactivated by 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU). A similar inactivation is observed with other C- and N-nitroso compounds. The inactivation by BCNU is dependent on incubation time, temperature and BCNU concentration. Protective reagents for -SH groups, dithiothreitol and beta-mercaptoethanol, and the substrate NMN are very effective in protecting NMN adenylyltransferase from BCNU inactivation and in preserving its catalytic properties, while ATP is less efficient. Incubation of BCNU-inactivated and dialysed NMN adenylyltransferase with dithiothreitol results in a partial recovery of the enzymatic activity

Changes in the pyruvic acid content correlates with phenotype traits in onion clones

Consumer demand is oriented toward onion cultivars with lower pungency, and the pyruvic acid content of onions is highly correlated with their pungency. Therefore, breeding programmes might be based on the pyruvic acid content of the parental bulbs. The present study was performed using 97 onion clones with the aim of correlating the pyruvic acid levels with phenotype traits in the different genotypes used in breeding programmes. The onion bulbs were provided from the breeding company with blind labels, and four bulbs were individually analysed for each clone. A comparison between the spectrophotometric and HPLC determination of pyruvic acid was also carried out and showed an excellent linear regression with an R 2 = 0.951. The pyruvic acid was studied in correlation with tunic colours, pungency and precocity, and the highest correlation coefficient was found for red skinned onions. The lowest pyruvate content was found in white onions, with 6.5 \u3bcmol g -1 FW, whereas higher values (8.4-8.5 \u3bcmol g -1 FW) were observed in yellow and red onions. The chemical analyses were compared with panel taste assessments. The results confirmed that the pungency and pyruvic acid content were positively and significantly correlated (P<0.0001),even when the coefficient resulted in a relatively low value (r = 0.515). The precocity trait was associated with pyruvate content: precocious onions, in particular, showed lower pungency

Modélisation du transport de plasmides d'ADN du milieu extracellulaire au noyau par électroporation.

We propose a mathematical model for the DNA plasmids transport from the extracellular matrix up to the cell nucleus. The model couples two phenomena: the electroporation process, describing the cell membrane permeabilization to plasmids and the intracellular transport enhanced by the presence of microtubules. Numerical simulations of cells with arbitrary geometry and a network of microtubules show numerically the importance of the microtubules and the electroporation on the effectiveness of the DNA transfection, as observed by previous biological data.Le but de ce rapport est de présenter un modèle mathématique pour le transport de plasmides d'ADN, du milieu extracellulaire jusqu'au noyau, par application d'un champ électrique électroporant. Le modèle couple deux phénomènes : le processus électrique d'électroperméabilisation de la membrane cellulaire, ainsi que le transport électrophorétique de l'ADN dans le milieu extracellulaire d'une part, et le processus de transport actif de l'ADN le long des microtubules d'autre part. Les simulations numériques démontrent l'importance du transport actif le long des microtubules ainsi que l'avantage de l'électroporation pour la transfection de gènes, ce qui est corroboré par de récentes données expérimentales

Flow Index: a novel, non-invasive, continuous, quantitative method to evaluate patient inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation

Background: The evaluation of patient effort is pivotal during pressure support ventilation, but a non-invasive, continuous, quantitative method to assess patient inspiratory effort is still lacking. We hypothesized that the concavity of the inspiratory flow-time waveform could be useful to estimate patient’s inspiratory effort. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the shape of the inspiratory flow, as quantified by a numeric indicator, could be associated with inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation. Methods: Twenty-four patients in pressure support ventilation were enrolled. A mathematical relationship describing the decay pattern of the inspiratory flow profile was developed. The parameter hypothesized to estimate effort was named Flow Index. Esophageal pressure, airway pressure, airflow, and volume waveforms were recorded at three support levels (maximum, minimum and baseline). The association between Flow Index and reference measures of patient effort (pressure time product and pressure generated by respiratory muscles) was evaluated using linear mixed effects models adjusted for tidal volume, respiratory rate and respiratory rate/tidal volume. Results: Flow Index was different at the three pressure support levels and all group comparisons were statistically significant. In all tested models, Flow Index was independently associated with patient effort (p < 0.001). Flow Index prediction of inspiratory effort agreed with esophageal pressure-based methods. Conclusions: Flow Index is associated with patient inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation, and may provide potentially useful information for setting inspiratory support and monitoring patient-ventilator interactions

AUSF Italy: the national organization of Italian students in Forestry

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