Fine needle aspiration cytology of hepatic metastases of neuroendocrine tumors: A 20‐year retrospective, single institutional study

Background Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is considered an excellent technique for documenting metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of FNA in diagnosing metastatic NETs to the liver and determining the grade and origin of these metastases. Methods Our laboratory information system was searched from 1997 to 2016 to identify all cases of metastatic NETs to the liver that were sampled by FNA. The cytopathology and surgical pathology reports as well as the patients' electronic medical records were reviewed. The cytohistologic type and grade of the metastatic NETs, as well as the site of the patient's primary were recorded. Results High‐grade NETs, including small cell and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, constituted 62% (167/271) of the cases, while low‐grade NETs, including well differentiated NET (grade1 and grade 2), pheochromocytomas, paragangliomas, and carcinoid tumors of lung, constituted 38% (104/271) of cases. The most common diagnosis was metastatic small cell carcinoma accounting for 45% (122/271) of cases. The most common primary sites were lung (44%; 119/271) followed by pancreas (19%; 51/271). The FNA diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology in 121 cases that had a concurrent biopsies or resection specimens. Conclusions FNA is an accurate method for diagnosing metastatic NETs to the liver. There were significantly more high‐grade (62%) than low‐grade (38%) metastatic NETs to the liver. In our practice, lung (44%) and pancreas (19%) were the most common primary sites of metastatic NETs involving the liver. In 16% of the cases, a primary site could not be established

Antithrombotic activity of clove oil

Clove oil inhibited human platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid (AA), platelet-activating factor (PAF) or collagen. Clove oil was a more effective inhibitor for aggregation induced by AA and PAF (IC50:4 and 6 microM respectively) than collagen (IC50: 132 microM). The in vivo experiments in rabbits showed that clove oil (50-100 mg/kg) afforded 100% protection against PAF (11 mg/kg, i.v.) and 70% protection against AA (2.0 mg/kg, i.v.)-induced thrombosis and shock due to pulmonary platelet thrombosis. It also inhibited thromboxane-A2 and 12-HETE production by human platelets incubated with [C14] AA. These results are indicative that clove oil is inhibitory of platelet aggregation and thromboxane synthesis and may act as anti-thrombotic agent

Tolerance to freezing stress in Cicer accessions under controlled and field conditions

Freezing tolerance was determined in 5 annual wild Cicer and 225 Cicer arietinum L. accessions, grown both in field and controlled conditions. In controlled conditions, the temperature was decreased 5°C daily to achieve -20°C. Field trial was conducted at Urmia, Iran. In general, 'kabuli' chickpeas were more susceptible to freezing stress than 'desi' chickpeas. Some 'kabuli' types such as FLIP 93-261C and x03TH21 which presented high freezing tolerance during early seedling stage, withstood -15.6°Cwithout snow cover. Based on severity score data, the highest freezing tolerance sources were all accessions of Cicer echinospermum and Cicer reticulatum and 15 lines from C. arietinum germplasm. The results obtained in controlled conditions were approximately confirmed in the field conditions. The most resistant genotypes to freezing stress were wild accessions of ILWC 81, ILWC 106, ILWC 139, ILWC 181, ILWC 235, and cultivated lines, Sel 96 TH 11404, Sel 96 TH 11439, Sel 96 TH 11488, Sel 98 TH 11518, x03TH21 and FLIP 93-261C. Our results indicated the possibility of autumn sowing of chickpea in the high plateaus of Iran

Effect of Addition of Different Levels of Commercial Inoculant of Lactic Acid Bacteria And Soluble Sugars on Fermentation of Wheat Straw Silage

اجريت الدراسة للتحري عن تأثير اضافة مستويات مختلفة من اللقاح التجاري لبكتيريا حامض اللاكتيك ((Ecosyl، 0 و 510 ×1 و610 ×1 وحدة مكونة للسبورات/غم مادة رطبة واربعة مستويات من الدبس كمصدر للسكريات الذائبة، 4 و 6 و 8 و 10% على اساس المادة الجافة على خصائص تخمرات سايلج تبن الحنطة. اضيفت اليوريا الى جميع نماذج السايلج بمعدل 1%. اظهرت النتائج ان اضافة اللقاح ادت الى تحسين (P<0.01) تخمرات السايلج, اذ سجل اوطأ اس هيدروجيني (3.97) وتركيز نتروجين الامونيا (0.89% من النتروجين الكلي) واعلى تركيز لحامض اللاكتيك والأحماض الدهنية الطيارة الكلية (7.86 و1.74ملي مكافئ من المادة الجافة على التوالي) في نماذج سايلج تبن الحنطة المصنعة بإضافة المستوى المرتفع من اللقاح، الا انها ادت ايضا الى تراجع المتبقي من السكريات الذائبة. اظهرت النتائج ايضا حصول انخفاض معنوي (P<0.01) في الأس الهيدروجيني بزيادة مستوى الدبس من 4 و6 الى 8 و10%، اذ بلغت القيم 4.86 و4.90 و4.70 و4.51 على التوالي. كما لوحظ حصول انخفاض معنوي (P<0.01) في المتبقي من السكريات الذائبة في الماء وتركيز نتروجين الأمونيا بزيادة مستوى الدبس المضاف عند تصنيع نماذج السايلج. فيما ادى ذلك الى حصول زيادة معنوية (P<0.01) تدريجية في تركيز حامض اللاكتيك، اذ بلغت القيم 2.69 و2.82 و2.23  و 4% من المادة الجافة في نماذج سايلج تبن الحنطة المصنعة بإضافة الدبس بمعدل 4 و 6 و8 و 10% على التوالي. كما لوحظ تأثير معنوي مماثل لزيادة مستوى الدبس على تركيز الاحماض الدهنية الطيارة الكلية. وبينت نتائج الدراسة ايضا ان جميع معايير التخمرات باستثناء تركيز الأحماض الدهنية الطيارة قد تأثرت معنويا (P<0.01) بالتداخل بين تركيز لقاح بكتيريا حامض اللاكتيك ومصدر السكريات الذائبة.This study was conducted to investigate the effect of addition of different levels of commercial inoculant of lactic acid Bacteria (Ecosyl), 0, 1×105 and  1×106  cfu/g wet material and 4 levels of debis as a source of soluble sugars, 4, 6, 8 and 10% on dry matter (DM) basis on fermentation of wheat straw silage. Urea was added to all samples at rate of 1%. Results revealed that addition of inoculant improved (P<0.01) silage fermentation, where, lower pH (3.97) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration (0.89% of total N) and higher lactic acid (LA) and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentrations (7.86 and 1.74% of DM, respectively) were recorded in samples of wheat straw silages prepared with addition of high level of inoculant. However, it also reduced the residual of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) in these samples. Results also revealed that there was a significant (P<0.01) reduction in pH with increasing level of debis from 4 to 6, 8 and 10%, values were 4.86, 4.90, 4.70 and 4.51, respectively. A significant (P<0.01) reduction was also shown in the residual of WSC, values were, 2.69, 2.82, 2.23 and 4% of DM in samples of wheat straw silage prepared with addition of debis at rate of 4, 6, 8 and 10% respectively. Similar significant effect due to increasing level of debis was also observed in VFA concentrations. Results of this study showed that all parameters of silage fermentation except that of  total VFA were significantly (P<0.01) affected by interaction between levels of inoculant and source of soluble sugars.      &nbsp

Gauge-Invariant Formulation of Spin-Current-Density Functional Theory

Spin-currents and non-abelian gauge potentials in electronic systems can be treated by spin-current-density functional theory, whose main input is the exchange-correlation (xc) energy expressed as a functional of spin-currents. Constructing a functional of spin currents that is invariant under U(1)$\times$SU(2) transformations is a long-standing challenge. We solve the problem by expressing the energy as a functional of a new variable we call "invariant vorticity". As an illustration we construct the xc energy functional for a two-dimensional electron gas with linear spin-orbit coupling and show that it is proportional to the fourth power of the spin current.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, submitte

Silver influence of physical and thermo luminescence properties on lithium-Strontium-borate LSBO: Ag exposed to cobalt-60 gamma ray

This work investigates the properties of glow curve of lithium Strontium borate doped sliver glass (LSBO: Ag), subjected to Co-60 gamma irradiation. The glass samples were prepared in different compositions based on 15%Li2CO3+2%SrCO3 (83-x) H3BO3 +xAgNO3, where x = 0.001, 0.003, 0.005, 0.007, 0.009 and 0.01 mol% by traditional melting quenching method at temperature 1300 °C for 1 hour. The structural pattern of glass samples has been identified by X-ray diffraction. The XRD pattern shows that the samples are glasses since there is broader peak appearing in the spectral pattern. FESEM images verify the homogeneous and transmitting surface morphology of all samples. Stable glasses with Hurby parameter ~ 0.5 are achieved. EDX spectra determine the accurate elemental compositions in the samples. Physical properties are determined in terms of glass density, molar volume, polar on radius, inter-nuclear distance, and ion concentration. Glass density is found to increase from 2.45 to 2.46 g cm-1 after addition of AgNO3 concentration. The TL intensity at different compositions of lithium borate doped sliver glass after exposed to 50 Gy Co-60 gamma-rays is presented. The results clearly show that the highest TL intensity is found in glass composition of 0.09 mol% of AgNO3

Effects of lipoproteins on cyclo-oxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways in human platelets

The products of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism in platelets play an important role in platelet shape change, adhesion and aggregation which may participate in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease and thrombosis. Since lipoproteins are also involved in the pathogenesis of thrombo-embolic disorders, the effect of human lipoproteins (HDL, LDL, VLDL) on AA metabolism in human platelets was investigated. Lipoproteins were separated by density gradient zonal ultracentrifugation. The effects of lipoproteins on production of AA metabolites in human platelets i.e., thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) were examined using radiometric thin layer chromatography coupled with automated data integrator system. In human platelets, HDL inhibited 12-HETE and TXA2 formation in a concentration-dependent manner. LDL had a strong inhibitory effect on TXA2 production and a weak inhibitory effect on 12-HETE production. VLDL had no effect on platelet AA metabolism. These findings point to a new facet of lipoproteins action and suggest that lipoproteins may have a physiological role in the regulation of AA metabolism in platelets

Stacked optical antennas for plasmon propagation in a 5 nm-confined cavity

The sub-wavelength concentration and propagation of electromagnetic energy are two complementary aspects of plasmonics that are not necessarily co-present in a single nanosystem. Here we exploit the strong nanofocusing properties of stacked optical antennas in order to highly concentrate the electromagnetic energy into a 5 nm metal-insulator-metal (MIM) cavity and convert free radiation into guided modes. The proposed nano-architecture combines the concentration properties of optical nanoantennas with the propagation capability of MIM systems, paving the way to highly miniaturized on-chip plasmonic waveguiding

Epidemiologic Attributes and Virulence Profile of Salmonella Tennessee isolates from Infections associated with Peanut Butter National Outbreak

The multi-state outbreak of Salmonella serotype Tennessee infections associated with peanut butter during 2006-2007 was the first outbreak in the United States associated with this food vehicle.  We investigated whether the outbreak-related strains had any distinct virulence attributes. We have analyzed 96 representative isolates from human and non-human sources from multiple states for attachment and invasion of caco-2 cell. In logistic regression analysis, we found that Salmonella Tennessee strains associated with the peanut butter outbreak were more likely to be highly invasive than strains from non-outbreak sources, OR 4.03 (95% CI 1.42, 11.41). Results from this study suggest that peanut butter could have provided an impetus for the expression of certain sets of virulence genes leading to the observed high level of invasiveness of the Salmonella Tennessee contaminants.  The occurrence of this outbreak underscores the importance of hygienic practices in peanut butter manufacturing plants for the prevention of such mass contamination. Keywords: Salmonella Tennessee; peanut butter; newly emerging food vehicles for Salmonella; risk factors for Salmonella Tennesse