Longitudinal evaluation of hepatic osteodystrophy in children and adolescents with chronic cholestatic liver disease

Bone mass loss is a major complication of chronic cholestatic liver disease (CCD). However, the long-term impact of CCD on bone mass acquisition is unknown. We longitudinally assessed bone mineral density (BMD) and factors involved in bone remodeling in 9 children and adolescents with CCD Child-Pugh A (5 boys/4 girls) and in 13 controls (6 boys/7 girls). The groups were evaluated twice, at baseline (T0) and after 3 years (T1), when osteocalcin, deoxypyridinoline, 25-hydroxyvitamin-D, parathyroid hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and BMD (L1-L4, proximal femur and total body) were determined. Serum levels of receptor activator for nuclear factor kB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin were measured only at T1. Lumbar spine BMD was reanalyzed twice: after adjustment for bone age and to compensate for the height factor. Volumetric density was also estimated mathematically in L2-L4. The BMD of L1-L4 was lower in the CCD group (Z-score at T0: control = -1.2 ± 0.8 vs CCD = -2.2 ± 1.4, P < 0.05; T1: control = -0.7 ± 0.8 vs CCD = -2.1 ± 1.1, P < 0.05). Osteocalcin and deoxypyridinoline were similar for the two groups. The CCD group presented lower IGF-I (Z-score at T1: control = 1.4 ± 2.8 vs CCD = -1.5 ± 1.0, P < 0.05) and RANKL (control = 0.465 ± 0.275 vs CCD = 0.195 ± 0.250 pM, P < 0.05) than control. Children with compensated CCD Child-Pugh A showed early impairment of bone acquisition, with the impact being more severe in an initial phase and then tapering in a slowly progressive way. Reduction in endocrine IGF-I has a crucial role in this process

Three-dimensional turbo spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and semiquantitative assessment of knee osteoarthritis: comparison with two-dimensional routine MRI

SummaryPurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate three-dimensional (3D) turbo spin-echo (TSE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for semiquantitative assessment of knee OA.Materials and methodTwenty subjects fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology clinical criteria of knee OA underwent both two-dimensional (2D) and 3D MRIs on the same day. The 2D MRI protocol included triplanar fat-suppressed (FS) intermediate-weighted (Iw) TSE. For the 3D TSE technique, a sagittal FS Iw sequence was acquired and triplanar reformations were constructed. 2D and 3D MRIs were read separately by two radiologists using the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS) system. Agreement was determined using weighted kappa statistics and percentage of overall agreement. The diagnostic performance of WORMS readings using 3D TSE MRI to detect the presence or absence of features was assessed using readings from 2D TSE images as a reference.ResultsAgreement for the scored features ranged between 0.62 (osteophytes (OS)) and 0.94 (meniscal extrusion). The sensitivity of WORMS readings using the 3D TSE technique ranged between 80% (periarticular cysts) and 100% (several features), the specificity ranged between 62.3% (OS) and 100% (several features), and accuracy ranged between 77.2% (OS) and 99.3% (subchondral cysts).ConclusionsSemiquantitative assessment of knee OA can be reliably performed using 3D TSE MRI, showing substantial to almost perfect agreement and high accuracy when compared to routine 2D TSE MRI. 3D TSE MRI also takes less time, which is important for large OA studies

Incidência de ferrugem em folhas de pessegueiro e nectarineira do germoplasma IAC

The occurrence of rust leaf disease (Tranzschelia discolor f. sp domesticae) was verified in 24 peach and nectarine selections at the Jundiaí Experimental Station (23&deg;08'S and 46&deg;55'W) State of São Paulo, Brazil. The trees of the germoplasm bank were evaluated using a sympton scale to evaluate selection susceptibility to the pathogen, at different levels. The less susceptible selections were: 1) peaches 'Regis' and IAC 4685-45 and 2) nectarines 'Josefina' and IAC N 2680-91.Avaliou-se, em fins do verão de 1993, o grau de incidência da ferrugem (Tranzschelia discolor f. sp. domesticae), em dezoito seleções IAC de pessegueiro e seis de nectarineira, mantidos em lote de germoplasma na Estação Experimental de Jundiaí (23&deg;08'S; 46&deg;55'W). A porcentagem de incidência do patógeno foi estimada através de observações macroscópicas das folhas, atribuindo-se notas de 1 a 5 (1 = nula, 2 = leve, 3 = moderada, 4 = severa, 5 = muito severa), conforme o grau da severidade do sintoma. Todo o material pesquisado mostrou-se suceptível ao patógeno, entretanto, as seleções apresentaram sensíveis variações em graus de susceptibilidade. As seleções com maior tolerância ao patógeno foram: 1) pêssegos 'Régis' e IAC 4685-45 e 2) nectarinas 'Josefina' e IAC N 2680-91

Two-Loop Helicity Amplitudes for Quark-Gluon Scattering in QCD and Gluino-Gluon Scattering in Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory

We present the two-loop QCD helicity amplitudes for quark-gluon scattering, and for quark-antiquark annihilation into two gluons. These amplitudes are relevant for next-to-next-to-leading order corrections to (polarized) jet production at hadron colliders. We give the results in the `t Hooft-Veltman and four-dimensional helicity (FDH) variants of dimensional regularization. The transition rules for converting the amplitudes between the different variants are much more intricate than for the previously discussed case of gluon-gluon scattering. Summing our two-loop expressions over helicities and colors, and converting to conventional dimensional regularization, gives results in complete agreement with those of Anastasiou, Glover, Oleari and Tejeda-Yeomans. We describe the amplitudes for 2 to 2 scattering in pure N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, obtained from the QCD amplitudes by modifying the color representation and multiplicities, and verify supersymmetry Ward identities in the FDH scheme.Comment: 77 pages. v2: corrected errors in eqs. (3.7) and (3.8) for one-loop assembly; remaining results unaffecte

Commentaire ECJ TF 2/2022 de la décision du 27 janvier dans l'affaire Commission c. Espagne (formulaire 720) (Case C-788/19)

peer reviewedIn this CFE Opinion Statement, the CFE ECJ Task Force comments on the decision of 27 January 2022 in European Commission v. Kingdom of Spain (Form 720) (Case C-788/19) on the lack of proportionality of the consequences derived from the failure to provide information concerning assets or rights held in other Member States of the European Union or the European Economic Area

Commentaire ECJ TF 3/2021 de l'arrêt de la CJUE du 19 mars 2021 dans l'affaire MK v. Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (Case C-388/19) concernant l'option des contribuables pour éviter une taxation discriminatoire des plus-values

peer reviewedIn this CFE opinion statement, the CFE ECJ Task Force comments on the ECJ decision in MK v. Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (Case C-388/19) of 18 March 2021. The Court confirmed its previous case law and held that the Portuguese (optional) regime for taxation of capital gains from immovable property of non-residents was contrary to the free movement of capital under article 63 of the TFEU since non-residents were taxed less favourably than residents

Commentaire ECJ TF 2/2021 de la décision CJUE du 25 février 2021 dans l'affaire Société Générale (C-403/19) concernant le calcul du crédit d'impôt étranger maximal

peer reviewedIn this CFE Opinion Statement, submitted to the EU Institutions in September 2021, the CFE ECJ Task Force comments on the ECJ decision in Société Générale (Case C-403/19), which reinforces established case law that EU law neither prohibits juridical double taxation nor does it put an obligation on the residence Member State to prevent the disadvantages that could arise from the exercise of competence thus attributed by the two Member States

In silico ADMET prediction, evaluation of cytotoxicity in mouse splenocytes and preliminary evaluation of in vitro antimalarial activity of 4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole compounds

Abstract In this work, an in silico study and evaluation of the cytotoxicity of 4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole compounds against mouse splenocytes and the chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain are reported. The in silico results showed that the compounds have important pharmacokinetic properties for compounds with potential drug candidates. Regarding cytotoxicity assays against splenocytes, the compounds have low cytotoxicity. In addition, they were able to promote activation of these cells by increasing nitric oxide production without promoting cell death. Finally, they were able to promote cell proliferation. Regarding the in vitro anti-P. falciparum activity assays, it was observed that the compounds were able to inhibit the parasite’s growth, presenting IC50 values ranging from 0.79 to greater than 10 µM. These results are promising when compared to chloroquine. Therefore, this study showed that 4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole compounds are promising candidates for antimalarials