Fecal calprotectin concentration in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

PurposeAmong the many factors associated with acute intestinal mucosal infection, numerous studies have proposed the usefulness of fecal calprotectin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of fecal calprotectin in the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).MethodsWe collected 154 stool samples from 16 very low birth weight and premature newborns at the Konyang University Hospital neonatal intensive care unit or neonatal nursery. The stool samples were collected using the Calprest device, and the fecal calprotectin level was measured with the BÜHLMANN Calprotectin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.ResultsFecal calprotectin levels were significantly higher in the NEC group than in the non-NEC group (P=0.02). There was a significant positive linear relationship between the fecal calprotectin level and number of days after birth (P=0.00) in the gestational age <26 weeks group. There was a significant negative linear relationship between the calprotectin level and number of days after birth (P=0.03) in the gestational age ≥26 weeks and <30 weeks group. There was no difference in the calprotectin levels according to the type and method of feeding between the NEC and non-NEC groups.ConclusionFecal calprotectin levels were significantly increased in premature infants with NEC. The fecal calprotectin test is a noninvasive, easy, and useful tool for the diagnosis of NEC

Phenotypic Characterization of Transgenic Miscanthus sinensis Plants Overexpressing Arabidopsis Phytochrome B

Phytochromes are dimeric pigment proteins with reversible photochromism between red and far-red light-absorbing forms. They are photoreceptors that regulate various aspects of plant growth and development and have been used for biotechnological applications to improve agricultural performance of crops. Miscanthus species have been suggested as one of the most promising energy crops. In this paper, Arabidopsis phytochrome B (PHYB) gene was introduced into Miscanthus sinensis using Agrobacteriummediated transformation method that we developed recently, with the herbicide resistance gene (BAR) as a selection marker. After putative transgenic plants were selected using the herbicide resistance assay, genomic integration of the transgene was confirmed by genomic PCR and Southern blot analysis, and transgene expression was validated by Northern blot analysis. Compared to nontransformed control plants, transgenic plants overexpressing PHYB showed phenotypes with increased phytochrome B function, which includes increased chlorophyll content, decreased plant height, and delayed flowering. Therefore, these results suggest that Arabidopsis phytochrome B is functional in M. sinensis and provide a method to develop Miscanthus varieties with enhanced agricultural performance using phytochromes

Identification of HLA-A*2402-restricted HCMV immediate early-1 (IE-1) epitopes as targets for CD8+ HCMV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To identify novel HLA-A*2402-restricted human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate early-1 (IE-1) epitopes for adoptive immunotherapy, we explored 120 overlapping 15-amino acid spanning IE-1.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>These peptides were screened by measuring the frequency of polyclonal CD8+ T cells producing intracellular interferon-γ (IFN-γ) using flow cytometry and the epitopes were validated with a HCMV-infected target Cr release cytotoxicity assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Initial screening was performed with 12 mini-pools of 10 consecutive peptides made from 120 overlapping peptides15-amino acids in length that spanned IE-1. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HLA-A*2402 HCMV-seropositive donors were sensitized with each of the 12 mini-pools, mini-pools 1 and 2 induced the highest frequency of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) producing IFN-γ. When PBMCs were stimulated with each of the twenty peptides belonging to mini-pools 1 and 2, peptides IE-1_1–15MESSAKRKMDPDNPD and IE-1_5–19AKRKMDPDNPDEGPS induced the greatest quantities of IFN-γ production and cytotoxicity of HLA-matched HCMV-infected fibroblasts. To determine the exact HLA-A*2402-restricted epitopes within the two IE-1 proteins, we synthesized a total of twenty-one overlapping 9- or 10 amino acid peptides spanning IE-1_1–15and IE-1_5–19. Peptide IE-1_3–12SSAKRKMDPD induced the greatest quantities of IFN-γ production and target cell killing by CD8+ CTLs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>HCMV IE-1_3–12SSAKRKMDPD is a HLA-A*2402-restricted HCMV IE-1 epitope that can serve as a common target for CD8+ HCMV-specific CTLs.</p

How Does the SST Variability over the Western North Atlantic Ocean Control Arctic Warming over the Barents-Kara Seas?

Arctic warming over the BarentsKara Seas and its impacts on the mid-latitude circulations have been widely discussed. However, the specific mechanism that brings the warming still remains unclear. In this study, a possible cause of the regional Arctic warming over the BarentsKara Seas during early winter (OctoberDecember) is suggested. We found that warmer sea surface temperature anomalies over the western North Atlantic Ocean (WNAO) modulate the transient eddies overlying the oceanic frontal region. The altered transient eddy vorticity flux acts as a source for the Rossby wave straddling the western North Atlantic and the BarentsKara Seas (Scandinavian pattern), and induces a significant warm advection, increasing surface and lower-level temperature over the Eurasian sector of the Arctic Ocean. The importance of the sea surface temperature anomalies over the WNAO and subsequent transient eddy forcing over the WNAO was also supported by both specially designed simple model experiments and general circulation model experiments

Effect of chitinase- 3- like protein 1 on glucose metabolism: In vitro skeletal muscle and human genetic association study

We investigated the effect of chitinase- 3- like protein 1 (CHI3L1) on glucose metabolism and its underlying mechanisms in skeletal muscle cells, and evaluated whether the observed effects are relevant in humans. CHI3L1 was associated with increased glucose uptake in skeletal muscles in an AMP- activated protein kinase (AMPK)- dependent manner, and with increased intracellular calcium levels via PAR2. The improvement in glucose metabolism observed in an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test on male C57BL/6J mice supported this association. Inhibition of the CaMKK was associated with suppression of CHI3L1- mediated glucose uptake. Additionally, CHI3L1 was found to influence glucose uptake through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Results suggested that CHI3L1 stimulated the phosphorylation of AS160 and p38 MAPK downstream of AMPK and AKT, and the resultant GLUT4 translocation. In primary myoblast cells, stimulation of AMPK and AKT was observed in response to CHI3L1, underscoring the biological relevance of CHI3L1. CHI3L1 levels were elevated in cells under conditions that mimic exercise in vitro and in exercised mice in vivo, indicating that CHI3L1 is secreted during muscle contraction. Finally, similar associations between CHI3L1 and metabolic parameters were observed in humans alongside genotype associations between CHI3L1 and diabetes at the population level. CHI3L1 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162777/2/fsb220907.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162777/1/fsb220907_am.pd

The improvement of right ventricular function after adenotonsillectomy in children with obstructive sleep apnea

Purpose Adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) that causes upper airway obstruction might lead to chronic hypoxemic pulmonary vasoconstriction and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. We aimed to evaluate whether adenotonsillectomy (T&A) in children suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to severe ATH could improve RV function. Methods Thirty-seven children (boy:girl=21:16; mean age, 9.52±2.20 years), who underwent T&A forsleep apnea due to ATH, were included. We analyzedthe mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), the presence and the maximal velocity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and the right ventricular myocardial performance index (RVMPI) with tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) by transthoracic echocardiography pre- and post-T&A. The follow-up period was 1.78±0.27 years. Results Only the RVMPI using TDE improved after T&A (42.18±2.03 vs. 40±1.86, P=0.001). The absolute value of TAPSE increased (21.45±0.90 mm vs. 22.30±1.10 mm, P=0.001) but there was no change in the z score of TAPSE pre- and post-T&A (1.19±0.34 vs. 1.24±0.30, P=0.194). The mPAP was within normal range in children with ATH, and there was no significant difference between pre- and post-T&A (19.6±3.40 vs. 18.7±2.68, P=0.052). There was no difference in the presence and the maximal velocity of TR (P=0.058). Conclusion RVMPI using TDE could be an early parameter of RV function in children with OSA due to ATH

Transvaginal Endoscopic Appendectomy

Since Kalloo and colleagues first reported the feasibility and safety of a peroral transgastric approach in the porcine model in 2004, various groups have reported more complex natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures, such as the cholecystectomy, splenectomy and liver biopsy, in the porcine model. Natural orifice access to the abdominal cavity, such as transgastric, transvesical, transcolonic, and transvaginal, has been described. Although a novel, minimally invasive approach to the abdominal cavity is a peroral endoscopic transgastric approach, there are still some challenging issues, such as the risk of infection and leakage, and the method of gastric closure. Hybrid-NOTES is an ideal first step in humans. Human hybrid transvaginal access has been used for years by many surgeons for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Here, we report a transvaginal flexible endoscopic appendectomy, with a 5-mm umbilical port using ultrasonic scissors in a 74-year-old woman with acute appendicitis

Collagen Immobilization on Ultra-thin Nanofiber Membrane to Promote In Vitro Endothelial Monolayer Formation

The endothelialization on the poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofiber has been limited due to its low hydrophilicity. The aim of this study was to immobilize collagen on an ultra-thin poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofiber membrane without altering the nanofiber structure and maintaining the endothelial cell homeostasis on it. We immobilized collagen on the poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofiber using hydrolysis by NaOH treatment and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/sulfo-N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide reaction as a cost-effective and stable approach. NaOH was first applied to render the poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofiber hydrophilic. Subsequently, collagen was immobilized on the surface of the poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofibers using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/sulfo-N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy were used to verify stable collagen immobilization on the surface of the poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofibers and the maintenance of the original structure of poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofibers. Furthermore, human endothelial cells were cultured on the collagen-immobilized poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofiber membrane and expressed tight junction proteins with the increase in transendothelial electrical resistance, which demonstrated the maintenance of the endothelial cell homeostasis on the collagen-immobilized-poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofiber membrane. Thus, we expected that this process would be promising for maintaining cell homeostasis on the ultra-thin poly (epsilon-caprolactone) nanofiber scaffolds.11Ysciescopu