Secondary open-angle glaucoma may develop as a postoperative complication of early childhood cataract surgery. Its mechanism is poorly understood. Surgical removal of cataracts is typically incomplete, and we estimate that this disease is associated with alpha-B crystallin (CRYAB) secreted from the retained lens material. This study, for the first time, focused on the role of CRYAB in undesired changes of the structures and functions in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells.

Cognitive performance is an important endophenotype for various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric traits. In the present study two genetic variants in the leucine-zipper protein (LUZP2) and the F-box 40 protein (FBXO40) genes, previously reported to be genome-wide significant for Alzheimer's diseases and schizophrenia, were examined for an association with cognitive abilities in normal elderly from the Russian population. Rs1021261 in the LUZP2 and rs3772130 in the FBXO40 were genotyped by multiplex PCR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in a sample of 708 normal elderly subjects tested for cognitive performance using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Association of genetic variability with the MoCA scores was estimated by parametric and nonparametric analysis of variance and by the frequency comparison between upper and lower quartiles of MoCA distribution. Significantly higher frequency of "TT" genotype of rs1021261 in the LUZP2 gene as well as "A" allele and "AA" genotype of rs3772130 in the FBXO40 gene was found in a subsample of individuals with the MoCA score less than 20 comparing to the fourth quartile's subsample (MoCA > 25). The data of the present study suggests that genetic variability in the LUZP2 and FBXO40 loci associated with neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases is also contributed to the normal variability in cognitive performance in the elderly.

Age-related reference intervals (RIs) of central (aortic) systolic blood pressure (cSBP) and augmentation index (cAIx) obtained from large healthy population are lacking in Argentina (South America). Aims. To analyze the existence of associations among cSBP and cAIx with demographic, anthropometric, and hemodynamic parameters and to generate percentile curves and RIs adjusted to each level of age and gender and/or body height. cSBP and cAIx were measured in 1038 healthy children, adolescents, and young adults. First, we evaluated if RIs for males and females were necessary using correlation and covariate analysis. Second, mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) age-related equations were obtained for cSBP and cAIx, using parametric regression methods based on fractional polynomials. Third, age specific percentiles curves were generated. Fourth, body height specific percentiles curves were generated using a similar procedure. The obtained equations (considering age as independent variable) for all subjects (cSBP0.26 and (cAIx + 12.001)0.5) were as follows: cSBP Mean = 3.0581 + 0.2189 log(Age) - 0.001044Age; cSBP SD = -0.03919 + 0.1535 log(Age) - 0.004564Age; cAIx mean = 9.5226 - 6.1599 log(Age) + 0.1450Age; cAIx SD = 1.3880 - 0.8468 log(Age) + 0.03212Age. This study, performed in Argentinean healthy children, adolescents, and young adults with ages of 5 to 22 years, provides the first RIs and percentile curves of cSBP and cAIx. Additionally, specific body height-related cAIx percentiles are reported for the analyzed population. The RIs and percentiles contribute to the knowledge of arterial dynamic evolution along the normal aging process and the interpretation of data obtained in clinical research and daily clinical practice.

Indexed left atrial volume (LAVi) is a robust predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. A minority of patients with moderate-to-severe left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction maintain normal LAVi. We followed clinical and echocardiographic parameters for at least 6 months to understand how this population is different from patients with similar systolic dysfunction and dilated left atria.

To assess combined data from seventeen randomized controlled trials studying effect of anthocyanin consumption on levels of various lipids and inflammatory markers with meta-analysis approach.

Nurses, who are the majority, can contaminate their hands with different types of microorganism during "clean" activities (e.g., lifting a patient; taking a patient's pulse, blood pressure, or oral temperature; or touching a patient's hand, shoulder, or groin). Yet good hand hygiene, the simple task of cleaning hands at the right time and in the right way, can reduce HCAIs that are transmitted by healthcare workers' hands.

Stroke is the leading cause of death and long-term disability. Oxidative stress is elevated during occurrence of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Soluble LOX-1 (sLOX-1) and NO are used as biomarkers for vascular oxidative stress that can reflect stabilization of atherosclerotic plaque. Previous study showed that simvastatin can reduce oxidative stress and LOX-1 expression.

A simple extractive spectrophotometric technique has been developed and validated for the determination of miconazole nitrate in pure and pharmaceutical formulations. The method is based on the formation of a chloroform-soluble ion-pair complex between the drug and bromocresol green (BCG) dye in an acidic medium. The complex showed absorption maxima at 422 nm, and the system obeys Beer's law in the concentration range of 1-30 µg/mL with molar absorptivity of 2.285 × 104 L/mol/cm. The composition of the complex was studied by Job's method of continuous variation, and the results revealed that the mole ratio of drug : BCG is 1 : 1. Full factorial design was used to optimize the effect of variable factors, and the method was validated based on the ICH guidelines. The method was applied for the determination of miconazole nitrate in real samples.

The probability of conception occurs before ovulation in natural cycle, thus performing IUI before ovulation should not compromise the pregnancy outcomes.

Gastric varices (GV) are associated with high morbidity and mortality in patients with portal hypertension. Endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection is the first-line recommended therapy for GV obliteration. This study aims to explore the reason behind related adverse events and better prevent its occurrence.

The forkhead box (Fox) gene family, one of the most important families of transcription factors, participates in various biological processes. However, Fox genes in Hymenoptera are still poorly known. In this study, 14 Fox genes were identified in the genome of Apis cerana. In addition, 16 (Apis mellifera), 13 (Apis dorsata), 16 (Apis florea), 17 (Bombus terrestris), 16 (Bombus impatiens), and 18 (Megachile rotundata) Fox genes were identified in their genomes, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that FoxA is absent in the genome of A. dorsata genome. Similarly, FoxG is missing in the genomes A. cerana and A. dorsata. Temporal expression profiles obtained by quantitative real-time PCR revealed that Fox genes have distinct expression patterns in A. cerana, especially for three genes ACSNU03719T0 (AcFoxN4), ACSNU05765T0 (AcFoxB), and ACSNU07465T0 (AcFoxL2), which displayed high expression at the egg stage. Tissue expression patterns showed that FoxJ1 is significantly higher in the antennae of A. cerana and A. mellifera compared to other tissues. These results may facilitate a better understanding of the potential physiological functions of the Fox gene family in A. cerana and provide valuable information for a comprehensive functional analysis of the Fox gene family in Hymenopterans.

The aim of this report is to unveil specific prognostic factors for retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) patients by univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. A phase I-II study on localized RPS treated with high-dose ifosfamide and radiotherapy followed by surgery (ISG-STS 0303 protocol) demonstrated that chemo/radiotherapy was safe and increased the 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) with respect to historical controls. Of 70 patients, twenty-six developed local, 10 distant, and 5 combined relapse. Median disease-free interval (DFI) was 29.47 months. According to a discriminant function analysis, DFI, histology, relapse pattern, and the first treatment approach at relapse had a statistically significant prognostic impact. Based on scientific literature and clinical expertise, clinicopathological data were analyzed using both a supervised and an unsupervised classification method to predict the prognosis, with similar sample sizes (66 and 65, resp., in casewise approach and 70 in mean-substitution one). This is the first attempt to predict patients' prognosis by means of multivariate statistics, and in this light, it looks noticable that (i) some clinical data have a well-defined prognostic value, (ii) the unsupervised model produced comparable results with respect to the supervised one, and (iii) the appropriate combination of both models appears fruitful and easily extensible to different clinical contexts.

Diabetic macular edema is major cause of vision loss associated with diabetic retinopathy. Breakdown of blood-retinal barrier, especially inner BRB, is an early event in pathogenesis of DR. Apelin, an endogenous ligand of APJ, mediates angiogenesis and is involved in the development of DR. The present study aimed to investigate effects and mechanism of apelin-13 in vascular permeability during DME. We verified apelin-13 was upregulated in DME patients' vitreous. High glucose incubation led to a progressive increase of apelin-13, APJ, cytoskeleton, and tight junction proteins, including VE-Cadherin, FAK, Src, ZO-1, and occludin. Apelin-13 promoted HRMEC proliferation and migration and phosphorylation of both cytoskeleton and tight junction under both normal and high glucose conditions. Besides, apelin-13 activated PI-3K/Akt and MAPK/Erk signaling pathways, including PLCγ1, p38, Akt, and Erk both in HRMEC and in C57BL/6 mice. Meanwhile, F13A performed opposite effects compared with apelin-13. In in vivo study, apelin-13 was also upregulated in retina of db/db mice. Taken together, apelin-13 increased biologic activity of HRMEC, as well as expression of both cytoskeleton and tight junction in DME via PI-3K/Akt and MAPK/Erk signaling pathways. Apelin-13 as an early promoter of vascular permeability may offer a new perspective strategy in early treatment of DR.

The recombinant catalase-peroxidase HPI from E. coli was used as an alternative enzyme in polymerization reactions for the production of (-) epicatechin oligomers and their biological activity was characterized. The enzyme was prepared in two forms: a purified and an immobilized form. Both were tested for their activity in oxidative polymerization reactions, and their stability and reusability were assessed. The polymerization reactions were followed by SEC-HPLC analyses, and the substrate was completely converted into one or more polymerization products depending on the reactions conditions. Results showed that the utilized conditions allowed for the isolation of some oligomers of different molecular weight: the oligomers containing 6 and 7 units of epicatechin substrate are the heaviest ones. Epicatechin was also used in reactions catalyzed by HRP in the same reaction conditions for comparison. In addition, one selected oligomer obtained by HPI enzyme catalysis was shown to act as in vitro inhibitor of tumor cell growth, like one oligomer deriving from epicatechin by HRP catalysis. These data confirm that epicatechin oligomeric form is more effective than its monomer in biological activity and suggest the use of HPI as an alternative enzyme in reactions for the production of epicatechin oligomers.

To evaluate the performance of an optimized ECG trigger diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequence in liver and its application in liver disease.

Chemoresistance is a significant factor associated with poor outcomes of osteosarcoma patients. The present study aims to identify Chemoresistance-regulated gene signatures and microRNAs (miRNAs) in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The results of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) included positive regulation of transcription, DNA-templated, tryptophan metabolism, and the like. Then differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were uploaded to Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, and 9 hub genes were screened, such as fucosyltransferase 3 (Lewis blood group) (FUT3) whose expression in chemoresistant samples was high, but with a better prognosis in osteosarcoma patients. Furthermore, the connection between DEGs and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) was explored. GEO2R was utilized to screen out DEGs and DEMs. A total of 668 DEGs and 5 DEMs were extracted from GSE7437 and GSE30934 differentiating samples of poor and good chemotherapy reaction patients. The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used to perform GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis to identify potential pathways and functional annotations linked with osteosarcoma chemoresistance. The present study may provide a deeper understanding about regulatory genes of osteosarcoma chemoresistance and identify potential therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of astaxanthin added to freezing buffer on semen parameters, total sperm oxidation stress after postthawing of boar sperm, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) which is caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in sperm membrane. Varying concentrations of astaxanthin (0, 10, 50, 100, and 500 μM) were used in the freezing buffer during cryopreservation to protect the DNA of thawed miniature pig sperm. Semen parameter was measured using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) for sperm motility, and then ROS rate and oxidative stress of boar sperm were determined using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Sperm motility was higher (p < 0.05) in the astaxanthin group than in the control group. Sperm motility and the number of progressive motile sperm were higher (p < 0.05) in the astaxanthin 500 μM group than in the control group. In ROS evaluation, the astaxanthin group had lower intracellular O2 and H2O2 in viable sperm. Yo-Pro-I/HE and PI/H2DCFDA staining as revealed using flow cytometry was lower in astaxanthin groups than in the other groups. As a result, we found that astaxanthin could protect the sperm plasma membrane from free radicals and LPO during boar sperm postthawing.

Sebocyte differentiation is a continuous process, but its potential molecular mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to establish a novel sebocyte differentiation model using human primary sebocytes and to identify the expression profiles of differentiation-associated proteins. Primary human sebocytes were cultured on Sebomed medium supplemented with 2% serum for 7 days. Flow cytometry showed that S phase cells were decreased time-dependently, while G1 and subG1 (apoptosis) phase cells increased under serum starvation. Transmission electron microscopy and Oil Red O staining revealed a gradual increase of intracellular lipid accumulation. Expression of proliferation marker was diminished, while expression of differentiation, apoptosis, and lipogenic markers elevated gradually during 7-day culture. iTRAQ analysis identified 3582 expressed proteins in this differentiation model. Compared with day 0, number of differentially expressed proteins was 132, 54, 321, and 96 at days 1, 3, 5, and 7, respectively. Two overexpressed proteins (S100 calcium binding protein P and ferredoxin reductase) and 2 downexpressed proteins (adenosine deaminase and keratin 10) were further confirmed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis, characterized by bone erosions and new bone formation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of the immune responses. Differential expression of miRNAs has been reported in several inflammatory autoimmune diseases; however, their role in PsA is not fully elucidated. We aimed to identify miRNA expression signatures associated with PsA and to investigate their potential implication in the disease pathogenesis.

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is a common illness influencing childbearing women worldwide. Most women suffering from RVVC develop infection without specified risk factors. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important component of innate immune defense against Candida infection. Innate immunity gene mutations and polymorphisms have been suggested to play a role in susceptibility to RVVC. This study aimed to investigate the association between MBL 2 gene exon 1 codon 54 polymorphism and susceptibility to RVVC in childbearing women. Whole blood and serum samples were obtained from 59 RVVC cases and 59 controls. MBL serum level was measured by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA). MBL2 exon 1 codon 54 polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). It was shown that MBL serum level was nonsignificantly different between RVVC cases and controls. The risk of RVVC was 3 times higher in those carrying MBL2 exon 1 codon 54 variant allele (B). It could be concluded that the carrying of MBL2 exon 1 codon 54 variant allele (B) was shown to be a risk factor for RVVC in childbearing women.