Nutritive value of unconventional fibrous ingredients fed to Guinea pigs in the Democratic Republic of Congo

peer reviewedThe energy and protein value for Guinea pigs (GP) of 9 forages (7 dicots and 2 grasses) and 5 hay-based diets was determined. The apparent faecal digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and energy was measured on GP housed in metabolic cages. The forages and the diets were digested in vitro using pepsin and pancreatin hydrolysis and gas fermentation test to simulate stomach, small intestine and large intestine, respectively. Most of the dicots had high digestible crude protein content (152–201 g/kg DM) and the 2 grasses showed lower values (80–85 g/kg DM). Digestible energy content of the forages ranged between 5.79 to 13.08 MJ/kg DM. None of the forage species or hay-based diets provided sufficient energy to supply the 11.7 MJ/kg metabolic energy requirements. The influence of intestinal fermentation on energy and protein values was highlighted by correlations (P<0.05) between in vivo and in vitro data, including gas fermentation. It is the first time that such relationships are reported in single-stomach animals

Bridging medicine and biomedical technology: enhance translation of fundamental research to patient care

The ‘Bridging medicine and biomedical technology’ special all-congress session took place for the first time at the OSA Biophotonics Congress: Optics in Life Sciences in 2017 (http://www.osa.org/enus/meetings/osa_meetings/optics_in_the_life_sciences/bridging_medicine_and_biomedical_technology_specia/). The purpose was to identify key challenges the biomedical scientists in academia have to overcome to translate their discoveries into clinical practice through robust collaborations with industry and discuss best practices to facilitate and accelerate the process. Our paper is intended to complement the session by providing a deeper insight into the concept behind the structure and the content we developed

Costs and Consequences Associated With Misdiagnosed Lower Extremity Cellulitis

Question What is the national health care burden of misdiagnosed lower extremity cellulitis in patients admitted to the hospital from the emergency department? Findings In this cross-sectional study that included 259 patients, 30% were misdiagnosed with cellulitis, of which 85% did not require hospitalization and 92% received unnecessary antibiotics. Combining these findings with previously published data, cost estimates, and and projections indicate that cellulitis misdiagnosis leads to 50 000 to 130 000 unnecessary hospitalizations in the United States and $195 million to$515 million in avoidable health care spending annually. Meaning Misdiagnosis of lower extremity cellulitis is common and may lead to unnecessary patient morbidity and considerable health care spending

A predictive model for diagnosis of lower extremity cellulitis: A cross-sectional study

Background Cellulitis has many clinical mimickers (pseudocellulitis), which leads to frequent misdiagnosis. Objective To create a model for predicting the likelihood of lower extremity cellulitis. Methods A cross-sectional review was performed of all patients admitted with a diagnosis of lower extremity cellulitis through the emergency department at a large hospital between 2010 and 2012. Patients discharged with diagnosis of cellulitis were categorized as having cellulitis, while those given an alternative diagnosis were considered to have pseudocellulitis. Bivariate associations between predictor variables and final diagnosis were assessed to develop a 4-variable model. Results In total, 79 (30.5%) of 259 patients were misdiagnosed with lower extremity cellulitis. Of the variables associated with true cellulitis, the 4 in the final model were asymmetry (unilateral involvement), leukocytosis (white blood cell count ≥10,000/uL), tachycardia (heart rate ≥90 bpm), and age ≥70 years. We converted these variables into a points system to create the ALT-70 cellulitis score as follows: Asymmetry (3 points), Leukocytosis (1 point), Tachycardia (1 point), and age ≥70 (2 points). With this score, 0-2 points indicate ≥83.3% likelihood of pseudocellulitis, and ≥5 points indicate ≥82.2% likelihood of true cellulitis. Limitations Prospective validation of this model is needed before widespread clinical use. Conclusion Asymmetry, leukocytosis, tachycardia, and age ≥70 are predictive of lower extremity cellulitis. This model might facilitate more accurate diagnosis and improve patient care

The S100A10 Subunit of the Annexin A2 Heterotetramer Facilitates L2-Mediated Human Papillomavirus Infection

<div><p>Mucosotropic, high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) are sexually transmitted viruses that are causally associated with the development of cervical cancer. The most common high-risk genotype, HPV16, is an obligatory intracellular virus that must gain entry into host epithelial cells and deliver its double stranded DNA to the nucleus. HPV capsid proteins play a vital role in these steps. Despite the critical nature of these capsid protein-host cell interactions, the precise cellular components necessary for HPV16 infection of epithelial cells remains unknown. Several neutralizing epitopes have been identified for the HPV16 L2 minor capsid protein that can inhibit infection after initial attachment of the virus to the cell surface, which suggests an L2-specific secondary receptor or cofactor is required for infection, but so far no specific L2-receptor has been identified. Here, we demonstrate that the annexin A2 heterotetramer (A2t) contributes to HPV16 infection and co-immunoprecipitates with HPV16 particles on the surface of epithelial cells in an L2-dependent manner. Inhibiting A2t with an endogenous annexin A2 ligand, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), or with an annexin A2 antibody significantly reduces HPV16 infection. With electron paramagnetic resonance, we demonstrate that a previously identified neutralizing epitope of L2 (aa 108–120) specifically interacts with the S100A10 subunit of A2t. Additionally, mutation of this L2 region significantly reduces binding to A2t and HPV16 pseudovirus infection. Furthermore, downregulation of A2t with shRNA significantly decreases capsid internalization and infection by HPV16. Taken together, these findings indicate that A2t contributes to HPV16 internalization and infection of epithelial cells and this interaction is dependent on the presence of the L2 minor capsid protein.</p> </div

Mutations in HPV16 L2_108–111 reduce PsV binding to A2t and PsV infectivity.

<p>(A) ELISA plate wells were coated with 500 ng of A2t prior to overnight incubation with 400 ng HPV16 PsV or HPV16 L1–L2(GGDD) mutant PsV and subsequently incubated with mouse anti-L1 H16.V5 or goat anti-SLPI antibodies. Anti-mouse and anti-goat HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies were added prior to the substrate. In control experiments, no ligands were used. The graph represents the mean absorbance measured at 490 nm ± SD (***<i>P</i><0.001 as determined by a two-tailed, unpaired t-test between WT and mutant PsV). (B) HaCaT cells were infected with wild type (WT) or mutant (L2_108–111 LVEE to GGDD) HPV16 pseudovirions containing a GFP plasmid. Infectivity was scored at 48 h post infection by enumerating GFP-positive cells by flow cytometry. The mean percentage of HPV16 PsV infected cells (GFP-positive) normalized to the WT PsV group ± SD are presented of two combined independent experiments. Inset shows the L1 band of a coomassie blue stained SDS-PAGE gel loaded with an equivalent amount of WT and mutant PsV used in the infectivity assays. (***<i>P</i><0.001 as determined by a two-tailed, unpaired t-test between WT and mutant PsV group).</p