The generalized 3-edge-connectivity of lexicographic product graphs

The generalized $k$-edge-connectivity $\lambda_k(G)$ of a graph $G$ is a generalization of the concept of edge-connectivity. The lexicographic product of two graphs $G$ and $H$, denoted by $G\circ H$, is an important graph product. In this paper, we mainly study the generalized 3-edge-connectivity of $G \circ H$, and get upper and lower bounds of $\lambda_3(G \circ H)$. Moreover, all bounds are sharp.Comment: 14 page

Clinical profile, outcomes and improvement in symptoms and productivity in rhinitic patients in Karachi, Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rhinitis can cause a heavy toll on patients because of its bothersome effects on productivity. This retrospective study was conducted to explore the clinical profile, outcomes and improvement in the symptoms and productivity resulting from treatment of allergic rhinitis in Pakistan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We carried out a retrospective file review of all allergic rhinitis patients who presented to the Ear, Nose, Throat Consulting Clinic from January, 2006 to June, 2008 using a structured proforma especially designed for this purpose. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS v. 16.0.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The charts of 169 patients were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 35.2 ± 9.1 years. Sixty percent patients were male. Ninety eight patients (58%) reported allergy symptoms to be present at both home and work. One hundred and two patients (60.4%) had symptoms severe enough to cause absence from work or academic activities. Up to seventy one percent patients were spending between 1000 - 3000 Pakistani Rupees (1 US$= 83.3 Pakistani rupees) on the treatment of allergic rhinitis per year. One hundred and fifty one patients (89.3%) reported an improvement in rhinitic symptoms and productivity while 18 patients (10.7%) didn't. This improvement was significantly associated with satisfaction with treatment (p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Allergic rhinitis, a ubiquitous disease, was seen to cause a strain on patients in the form of recurrent treatment-related expenses as well as absenteeism from work or other daily activities. Symptoms and productivity improved significantly after treatment.</p

Whole genome sequence analysis of the TALLYHO/Jng mouse

Background: The TALLYHO/Jng (TH) mouse is a polygenic model for obesity and type 2 diabetes first described in the literature in 2001. The origin of the TH strain is an outbred colony of the Theiler Original strain and mice derived from this source were selectively bred for male hyperglycemia establishing an inbred strain at The Jackson Laboratory. TH mice manifest many of the disease phenotypes observed in human obesity and type 2 diabetes. Results: We sequenced the whole genome of TH mice maintained at Marshall University to a depth of approximately 64.8X coverage using data from three next generation sequencing runs. Genome-wide, we found approximately 4.31 million homozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 1.10 million homozygous small insertions and deletions (indels) of which 98,899 SNPs and 163,720 indels were unique to the TH strain compared to 28 previously sequenced inbred mouse strains. In order to identify potentially clinically-relevant genes, we intersected our list of SNP and indel variants with human orthologous genes in which variants were associated in GWAS studies with obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, and with genes previously shown to confer a monogenic obesity phenotype in humans, and found several candidate variants that could be functionally tested using TH mice. Further, we filtered our list of variants to those occurring in an obesity quantitative trait locus, tabw2, identified in TH mice and found a missense polymorphism in the Cidec gene and characterized this variant’s effect on protein function. Conclusions: We generated a complete catalog of variants in TH mice using the data from whole genome sequencing. Our findings will facilitate the identification of causal variants that underlie metabolic diseases in TH mice and will enable identification of candidate susceptibility genes for complex human obesity and type 2 diabetes

Undesended testis: How extensive should the work up be?

Aim: The aim of this study was to highlight various anomalies associated with undescended testis and to determine how much work up is necessary for this condition. Material and Methods: The study was conducted in the department of Pediatric Surgery SKIMS Srinagar, Kashmir. All patients between 0-14years of age who attended out patient department (OPD) from January 2002 to December 2003 with maldescent of testes were included in the study. Detailed relevant history and physical examination findings wererecorded in all the cases. Baseline investigations were performed along with ultrasonography of the abdomen. In relevant cases other investigations like intravenous urography, micturating cystourethrography, CT scan and laparoscopy were performed as and when indicated.Results: A total of 250 cases of undescended testis were registered during this period. Maximum number of cases were in the age group of 5-10 years. In 130 (52%) cases the right testis was undescended while 75(30%) had left sided undescended testis and 45 (18%) had bilateral undescended testis. Maldescended testis comprised 11% of the admissions. The majority of cases were having gestational age of 37 weeks or more. The associated anomalies picked up on investigationsincluded duplication of upper urinary tract (3.2%), hydronephrosis and polycystic kidney (0.8% each), horseshoe kidney, ectopic kidney, crossed renal ectopia (0.4% each) Posterior urethral valves, Prune belly syndrome (0.4%) and spina bifida (0.4%). On detailed clinical examination of genitalia several abnormalities were picked which included hydrocele, hypospadias, hernia, chordee, micropenis and ambiguous genitalia.Conclusion: We recommend ultrasonography to be done in all cases of undescended testis in addition to a thorough history and physical examination. Intravenous pyelography, micturating cystourethrogram, CT scan and other investigations should be performed selectivelybased on history, physical examination or ultrasound findings

The effect of new formulas for lean body mass on lean- body-mass-normalized SUV in oncologic 18F-FDG PET/CT

Due to better precision and intercompatibility, the use of lean body mass (LBM) as mass estimate in the calculation of standardized uptake values (SUV) has become more common in research and clinical studies today. Thus, the equations deciding this quantity have to be verified in order to choose the ones that best represents the actual body composition. Methods - LBM was calculated for 44 patients examined with 18F-FDG PET/CT scans by means of James’ and Janmahasatians’ sex specific predictive equations and the results validated using a CT based method. The latter method makes use of the eyes-to-thighs CT from the PET/CT aquisition protocol and segments the voxels according to Hounsfield Units. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots have been used to assess agreement between the various methods. Results - A mean difference of 6.3kg (-15.1 kg to 2.5 kg LOA) between LBMjames and LBMCT1 was found. This is higher than the observed mean difference of 3.8kg (-12.5 kg to 4.9 kg LOA) between LBMjan and LBMCT1. In addition, LBMjan had higher ICC with LBMCT1 of rI = 0.87 (rL = 0.60, rU = 0.94) than LBMjames with rI = 0.77 (rL = 0.11, rU = 0.91). Thus, we obtained better agreement between and LBMjan and LBMCT1. Although there were exceptions, the overall effect on SUL values was that SULjames values were greater than SULjan values. Conclusion - From our results, we have verified the reliability of the LBMjan suggested formulas with a CT derived reference standard. Compared with the more traditional and available set of equations LBMjames, the LBMjan formulas tend to yield better agreement

Immune modulation in transplant medicine: a comprehensive review of cell therapy applications and future directions.

Balancing the immune response after solid organ transplantation (SOT) and vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) remains an ongoing clinical challenge. While immunosuppressants can effectively reduce acute rejection rates following transplant surgery, some patients still experience recurrent acute rejection episodes, which in turn may progress to chronic rejection. Furthermore, these immunosuppressive regimens are associated with an increased risk of malignancies and metabolic disorders. Despite significant advancements in the field, these IS related side effects persist as clinical hurdles, emphasizing the need for innovative therapeutic strategies to improve transplant survival and longevity. Cellular therapy, a novel therapeutic approach, has emerged as a potential pathway to promote immune tolerance while minimizing systemic side-effects of standard IS regiments. Various cell types, including chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), regulatory myeloid cells (RMCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), offer unique immunomodulatory properties that may help achieve improved outcomes in transplant patients. This review aims to elucidate the role of cellular therapies, particularly MSCs, T cells, Tregs, RMCs, macrophages, and dendritic cells in SOT and VCA. We explore the immunological features of each cell type, their capacity for immune regulation, and the prospective advantages and obstacles linked to their application in transplant patients. An in-depth outline of the current state of the technology may help SOT and VCA providers refine their perioperative treatment strategies while laying the foundation for further trials that investigate cellular therapeutics in transplantation surgery