Some preliminary observations on peat-forming mangroves in Botum Sakor, Cambodia

Until recently, peatlands in Cambodia were relatively unknown despite numerous efforts to locate and identify them. In 2012–2014, mangrove vegetation on the south-western coast of Cambodia was found to be growing on top of a peat layer underlain by marine clay. Believing that more mangrove peat might remain to be discovered, additional surveys were conducted in 2015, focusing on part of the east coast of Botum Sakor National Park and the riverine mangroves outside the National Park boundary. A total area of 4,768 ha of mangrove peat was confirmed to be present. Overall, the peat layer within this mangrove area is not very thick, with about half of all measurements in the range 50–100 cm and the deepest record 135 cm. In total, 26 mangrove species were recorded during the survey, including 20 tree species. Most were typical (either true or associate) species and very similar to those found in other mangrove forests in Cambodia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Although the mangrove peat area confirmed is small, it nevertheless contributes to the total peatland extent and carbon stock of the ASEAN region. Mangrove peat ecosystems, such as the one studied here, are not common in Southeast Asia and deserve more detailed and in-depth studies

Predictors of clinical outcome in children undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation for acute and chronic liver disease.

The current United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policy is to allocate liver grafts to pediatric patients with chronic liver disease based on the pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) scoring system, while children with fulminant hepatic failure may be urgently listed as Status 1a. The objective of this study was to identify pre-transplant variables that influence patient and graft survival in those children undergoing LTx (liver transplantion) for FHF (fulminant hepatic failure) compared to those patients transplanted for extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA), a chronic form of liver disease. The UNOS Liver Transplant Registry was examined for pediatric liver transplants performed for FHF and EHBA from 1987 to 2002. Variables that influenced patient and graft survival were assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis of FHF and EHBA groups revealed that 5 year patient and graft survival were both significantly worse (P < 0.0001) in those patients who underwent transplantation for FHF. Multivariate analysis of 29 variables subsequently revealed distinct sets of factors that influenced patient and graft survival for both FHF and EHBA. These results confirm that separate prioritizing systems for LTx are needed for children with chronic liver disease and FHF; additionally, our findings illustrate that there are unique sets of variables which predict survival following LTx for these two groups

Structural Basis for Specificity of Propeptide-Enzyme Interaction in Barley C1A Cysteine Peptidases

C1A cysteine peptidases are synthesized as inactive proenzymes. Activation takes place by proteolysis cleaving off the inhibitory propeptide. The inhibitory capacity of propeptides from barley cathepsin L and B-like peptidases towards commercial and barley cathepsins has been characterized. Differences in selectivity have been found for propeptides from L-cathepsins against their cognate and non cognate enzymes. Besides, the propeptide from barley cathepsin B was not able to inhibit bovine cathepsin B. Modelling of their three-dimensional structures suggests that most propeptide inhibitory properties can be explained from the interaction between the propeptide and the mature cathepsin structures. Their potential use as biotechnological tools is discussed

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Hematuria in a Patient with Non-malignant Bladder Nodules

Introduction: Gross hematuria in adults with resultant anemia is highly concerning for genitourinary malignancy.&nbsp; However, in rare instances, malakoplakia can mimic such malignancy. Malakoplakia is a benign granulomatous condition with malfunction of the phagolysosomal activity of macrophages and monocytes. This leads to formation of foamy histocytes with intracytoplasmic basophilic inclusions known as Michaelis-Gutmann bodies.&nbsp; These inclusion bodies are pathognomonic for the condition.&nbsp; &nbsp;Case presentation:&nbsp; A 41-year-old female presented with spontaneous gingival bleed and painless gross hematuria for 2 days. Two weeks prior to the current admission she had been hospitalized with gastrointestinal bleed and gross hematuria with symptomatic anemia. The hematuria diminished during treatment with ceftriaxone. She was discharged with a course of cephalexin to treat complicated cystitis. On the subsequent admission, she denied taking any medications. Labs on admission showed Hgb 8.6g/dL, WBC 4.9×109/L (4900/μL, platelets 307×109/L (307×103/μL), INR 1.09, creatinine 61.88μmol/L (0.7mg/dL), calcium 2.17mmol/L (8.7mg/dL). Cystoscopy showed several very abnormal appearing nodules present all over the bladder in a very unusual and abnormal fashion. Frozen section from the biopsy showed no evidence of malignancy but possible fungal infection. Final biopsy result showed malakoplakia, negative stains for acid fast bacilli and fungal organisms, and no evidence of tumor. Urine cultures for bacteria, fungus, acid fast bacilli were negative. Tissue culture grew light Enterococcus faecium, vancomycin resistant (VRE), sensitive to linezolid and quinopristin/dalfopristin, and light Candida glabrata. She was treated presumptively with ceftriaxone but switched to linezolid based on results from tissue cultures. Discussion: The German scientists and physicians Michaelis and Gutmann first described Malakoplakia in 1902. Malakoplakia is a rare condition that most commonly affects the urinary tract and can mimic tumors. It is a benign condition characterized by a granulomatous process consisting of foamy histiocytes with basophilic Michaelis-Gutmann bodies. These basophilic inclusions consist of partially digested bacteria and calcium and iron deposits that result from a defective phagolysosomal activity in the macrophages. It is more commonly reported in patients with immunodeficiencies like HIV or in transplant patients. It is important to obtain a correct pathologic diagnosis in these cases given that it is a benign condition that mimics carcinoma. Treatment consists of a prolonged course of antibiotics. Bethanechol and ascorbic acid appear to improve cure rates.</p

Personality traits in aesthetic surgery patients

WOS: 000378063300019Purpose: It has been known that psychological factors have an important effect on the decision to undergo aesthetic surgery. In this study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that the personality traits of people admitted for aesthetic surgery differ from those of people who have never planned to undergo aesthetic surgery in their lives. Material and Methods: Forty-seven patients who were referred to the outpatient clinic of the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Kirikkale University to undergo aesthetic surgery were enrolled in the study. Forty-three subjects who neither underwent nor planned to undergo aesthetic surgery at any time in their lives were included in the study as a control group. Psychometric evaluation of the patients and the control group was conducted using the Turkish version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Results: Taking 65 as a cut-off point, the ratio of patients who scored >= 65 on the hysteria subscale of the MMPI was found to be significantly higher in the sugery group than in the control group and the ratio on social introversion subscale was also higher in the patient group than in the control group, very closely approaching significance. Conclusion: It should be kept in mind that people who have personality traits that can be partially improved with psyachiatric treatment, such as social introverted, lonely, timid, shy, and hysterical and feel the need for validation by others, may be more often admitted for aesthetic surgery

Effect of anion identity on ion association and dynamics of sodium ions in non-aqueous glyme based electrolytes-OTf vs TFSI

Sodium-based rechargeable battery technologies are being pursued as an alternative to lithium, in part due to the relative abundance of sodium compared to lithium. Despite their low dielectric constant, glyme-based electrolytes are particularly attractive for these sodium-based batteries due to their ability to chelate with the sodium ion and their high electrochemical stability. While the glyme chain length is a parameter that can be tuned to modify solvation properties, charge transport behavior, reactivity, and ultimately battery performance, anion identity provides another tunable variable. Trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate/OTf) and bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide (TFSI) are chemically similar anions, which are often used in battery electrolytes for lithium-based batteries. In this paper, molecular simulations are used to examine the differences in ion association and charge transport between sodium salts of these two anions at different salt concentrations in glymes with the increasing chain length. The use of the modified force field developed for NaOTf in glymes for the NaTFSI electrolytes was validated by comparing the TFSI-sodium ion radial distribution functions to the results from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations on 1.5 M NaTFSI in diglyme. While the ion association behavior as a function of salt concentration showed similar trends for both NaOTf and NaTFSI in tetraglyme and triglyme electrolytes, the dominant solvation structures for the two sets of electrolytes are distinctly different in the monoglyme and diglyme cases. The conductivity is impacted by both the ion association behavior in these electrolytes and the non-vehicular or hopping transport of the anions in these systems

Long-Term Skin Findings İn Patients With Fanconi Anemia After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Long-term skin findings in patients with Fanconi anemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantationWo

Psychological characteristics of patients with asthma

WOS: 000419935100016PubMed: 27149073Introduction: Psychological distress of patients with asthma may be reduced when they learned to live with their illness. Asthma can change the psychological and personality characteristics. We aim to investigate the psychological and personality characteristics of patients with asthma using MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). Methods: Thirty-three adult patients with asthma (23 female and 10 male) and 20 healthy controls (14 females and 6 males) were enrolled in this study. Psychometric evaluation was made with the Turkish version of the MMPI. The patients were separated into two groups according to the duration of symptoms (recent-onset asthma= 10 years). Results: Patients with asthma compared with control group had significantly higher the rate of clinical elevation on depression, hysteria, psychasthenia and social introversion. Patients with recent-onset asthma compared with long-standing asthma have significantly higher the rate of clinical elevation on depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, psychasthenia and social introversion. MMPI mean t score in patients with recent-onset asthma was higher than patients with long-standing asthma. MMPI mean t score in patients with asthma was negatively associated with the symptom duration in multivariate model. Conclusions: Patients with asthma have relatively more inactivity, anergia, guilt, pessimism, nonspecific physical complaints, irrational fears and introvert. Patients with long-standing asthma have less psychological distress, suggesting that learned to cope with his illness