SUBMICROSCOPICAL DATA ABOUT THE DIFFERENTIATION OF ELASTIC FIBRES IN THE AORTIC WALL

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THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF ELASTIC FIBERS

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Immunohistochemical Study Of Some Filamentous Proteins In The Cells Of Mature Human Umbilical Cord

Expression design of primary proteins from intermediate filaments such as cytokeratin, vimentin and desmin in any cells within the umbilical cord was immunohistochemically studied using polyclonal (PAN cytokeratin) and monoclonal (vimentin and desmin) antibodies. The results showed that the cells of the mature human umbilical cord such as amniocytes, cells of the mucilaginous connective tissue, endothelial and smooth-muscle vascular cells expressed the basic proteins of the intermediate filaments in a different way. The amniocytes reacted strongly positively towards cytokeratin while only single cells reacted towards desmin and vimentin. All  the cells of the mucilaginous connective tissue reacted positively for vimentin and desmin both. The vascular endothelial cells remained vimentin-positive only while the vascular myocytes demonstrated certain peculiarities of their reaction towards vimentin and desmin related not only with their vascular belonging (arterial or venous, respectively) but also with their intramural topography. Based on these new facts the authors discussed the nature, differentiation and functions of the structures involved in this important transitory formation

Evaluation of emmer wheat genetics resources aimed at dietary food production

Emmer wheat cultivated by organic farmers is used as a component of some bio (organic) food products. Its positive influence on consumer health is caused by grain composition. In the set of 8 emmer wheat accessions, the main grain components, bread making characteristics and contents of health supporting chemical substances such as total dietary fibre content and its components, content of total polyphenols plus catechin and ferulic acid contents, vitamins of the B group and E plus total content of carotenoids were evaluated by standard methods

Activity of DPU-Ni/D hydrogenation catalysts prepared by urea method

Nickel catalysts supported on diatomite (Ni/D) were prepared by deposition-precipitation urea (DPU) method. The precipitation of Ni(II) phase onto diatomite surface was performed under various deposition-precipitation times. The catalyst precursors prepared with different nickel loading were then subjected through preparation steps including drying, reduction and passivation under the same conditions. Characterization of textural, structural and reducible properties was carried out using following techniques: N2-physisorption, Hg-porosimetry, XRD, IR, TG-DTG and TPR. The activity of DPU-Ni/D catalysts was tested in the reaction of hydrogenation of soybean oil. This reaction was performed in a three-phase slurry reactor, under conditions described in our previous paper. Figures 1 and 2 show the activities of the 1-U-Ni/D, 2-U-Ni/D and 3-U-Ni/D in catalytic test reaction of soybean oil hydrogenation. For hydrogenation reaction the highest activity was observed for the catalyst sample 1-U-Ni/D with the lowest nickel loading. The activity of catalyst samples increased in the following order: 1-U-Ni/D > 2-U-Ni/D > 3-U-Ni/D. An observed trend of increasing activity with decrease of Ni loading is in good correlation with the results obtained by the characterization of the catalyst surface and, in particular, with reducible characteristics of prepared DPU-Ni/D catalyst samples

The Belgian trial with azithromycin for acute COPD exacerbations requiring hospitalization: an investigator-initiated study protocol for a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Long-term use of macrolide antibiotics is effective to prevent exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As risks and side effects of long-term intervention outweigh the benefits in the general COPD population, the optimal dose, duration of treatment, and target population are yet to be defined. Hospitalization for an acute exacerbation (AE) of COPD may offer a targeted risk group and an obvious risk period for studying macrolide interventions. Methods/design: Patients with COPD, hospitalized for an AE, who have a smoking history of > 10 pack-years and had > 1 exacerbation in the previous year will be enrolled in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT02135354). On top of a standardized treatment of systemic corticosteroids and antibiotics, subjects will be randomized to receive either azithromycin or placebo during 3 months, at an uploading dose of 500 mg once a day for 3 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 250 mg once every 2 days. The primary endpoint is the time-to-treatment failure during the treatment phase (ie, from the moment of randomization until the end of intervention). Treatment failure is a novel composite endpoint defined as either death, the admission to intensive care or the requirement of additional systemic steroids or new antibiotics for respiratory reasons, or the diagnosis of a new AE after discharge. Discussion: We investigate whether azithromycin initiated at the onset of a severe exacerbation, with a limited duration and at a low dose, might be effective and safe in the highest risk period during and immediately after the acute event. If proven effective and safe, this targeted approach may improve the treatment of severe AEs and redirect the preventive use of azithromycin in COPD to a temporary intervention in the subgroup with the highest unmet needs

Treatment failure and hospital readmissions in severe COPD exacerbations treated with azithromycin versus placebo - A post-hoc analysis of the BACE randomized controlled trial

Background: In the BACE trial, a 3-month (3 m) intervention with azithromycin, initiated at the onset of an infectious COPD exacerbation requiring hospitalization, decreased the rate of a first treatment failure (TF); the composite of treatment intensification (TI), step-up in hospital care (SH) and mortality. Objectives: (1) To investigate the intervention's effect on recurrent events, and (2) to identify clinical subgroups most likely to benefit, determined from the incidence rate of TF and hospital readmissions. Methods: Enrolment criteria included the diagnosis of COPD, a smoking history of ≥10 pack-years and ≥ 1 exacerbation in the previous year. Rate ratio (RR) calculations, subgroup analyses and modelling of continuous variables using splines were based on a Poisson regression model, adjusted for exposure time. Results: Azithromycin significantly reduced TF by 24% within 3 m (RR = 0.76, 95%CI:0.59;0.97, p = 0.031) through a 50% reduction in SH (RR = 0.50, 95%CI:0.30;0.81, p = 0.006), which comprised of a 53% reduction in hospital readmissions (RR = 0.47, 95%CI:0.27;0.80; p = 0.007). A significant interaction between the intervention, CRP and blood eosinophil count at hospital admission was found, with azithromycin significantly reducing hospital readmissions in patients with high CRP (> 50 mg/L, RR = 0.18, 95%CI:0.05;0.60, p = 0.005), or low blood eosinophil count (<300cells/μL, RR = 0.33, 95%CI:0.17;0.64, p = 0.001). No differences were observed in treatment response by age, FEV1, CRP or blood eosinophil count in continuous analyses. Conclusions: This post-hoc analysis of the BACE trial shows that azithromycin initiated at the onset of an infectious COPD exacerbation requiring hospitalization reduces the incidence rate of TF within 3 m by preventing hospital readmissions. In patients with high CRP or low blood eosinophil count at admission this treatment effect was more pronounced, suggesting a potential role for these biomarkers in guiding azithromycin therapy. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number. NCT02135354. © 2019 The Author(s)

Expression of VEGF and semaphorin genes define subgroups of triple negative breast cancer.

PMC3648524Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) are difficult to treat due to a lack of targets and heterogeneity. Inhibition of angiogenesis is a promising therapeutic strategy, but has had limited effectiveness so far in breast cancer. To quantify heterogeneity in angiogenesis-related gene expression in breast cancer, we focused on two families--VEGFs and semaphorins--that compete for neuropilin co-receptors on endothelial cells. We compiled microarray data for over 2,600 patient tumor samples and analyzed the expression of VEGF- and semaphorin-related ligands and receptors. We used principal component analysis to identify patterns of gene expression, and clustering to group samples according to these patterns. We used available survival data to determine whether these clusters had prognostic as well as therapeutic relevance. TNBC was highly associated with dysregulation of VEGF- and semaphorin-related genes; in particular, it appeared that expression of both VEGF and semaphorin genes were altered in a pro-angiogenesis direction. A pattern of high VEGFA expression with low expression of secreted semaphorins was associated with 60% of triple-negative breast tumors. While all TNBC groups demonstrated poor prognosis, this signature also correlated with lower 5-year survival rates in non-TNBC samples. A second TNBC pattern, including high VEGFC expression, was also identified. These pro-angiogenesis signatures may identify cancers that are more susceptible to VEGF inhibition.JH Libraries Open Access Fun