The treatment of massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears remains a challenge for shoulder surgeons. When treating patients with chronic rotator cuff tears, especially those with severe fatty degeneration, severe tendon retraction, or muscle atrophy, the risk of re-tear and persistent severe pain persists. Therefore, surgeons can choose from numerous options. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/mk571.html Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) was introduced as a technique to maintain the stability of the upper shoulder and stabilize the muscles without repairing the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Various autograft and allograft techniques have been developed. SCR performed using an autograft has the disadvantage of requiring harvesting the tensor fascia lata. Although allografts reduce harvest time, they also increase donor-site morbidity and the time required for healing. To solve the healing problem, we have introduced an SCR technique through grafting with the Achilles tendon-bone. Although this is an unproven technique for patients with chronic irreparable rotator cuff tears, our short-term outcomes seem promising. Further studies and follow-ups are needed to determine the success of this technique. © 2019 by the Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier.Latissimus dorsi tendon ruptures are less-common injuries that can occur in elite throwing athletes. Physical examination of the thrower with a latissimus injury may show ecchymosis of the upper arm and asymmetry of the posterior axillary fold along with possible weakness in shoulder adduction, extension, and internal rotation. Magnetic resonance imaging is used to confirm the diagnosis. Latissimus tendon ruptures are largely treated nonoperatively; surgical repair is only advocated for in professional throwing athletes with complete avulsion injuries or midsubstance latissimus tendon tears. Surgical repair options include the use of suture anchors, cortical suture buttons, or transosseous sutures via a single posterior axillary incision or a 2-incision technique. Given the limited literature on this topic, there have been no studies evaluating the different fixation options or surgical approaches for tendon repair. This article and accompanying video show the technique and discusses the technical pearls of a latissimus tendon repair using suture button fixation via a single-incision approach. © 2019 by the Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier.There has been increased emphasis on medial meniscus repair in the anterior cruciate ligament-reconstructed knee, as this improves stability. We describe an arthroscopic sign of an unstable medial meniscal tear that is diagnostic. The "crevice sign" is a longitudinal fissure located on the distal medial femoral condyle. In the anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knee, there is increased strain on the medial meniscus. A posterior longitudinal medial meniscal tear can occur at the time of the index injury or with subsequent instability events. During this injury, the knee pivots and the anterior edge of the unstable medial meniscus digs into the articular cartilage of the medial femoral condyle, resulting in a longitudinal split of the distal femoral condyle articular cartilage. If this sign is observed during arthroscopy, it is recommended that surgeons thoroughly probe the medial meniscus to ensure no pathology is missed. © 2019 by the Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier.According to recent anatomic studies, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) appears to be a flat, "ribbon-like" structure, with a thin, oval-shaped insertion on the femur and a C-shaped tibial insertion. According to this anatomy, we describe an ACL-reconstruction technique that aims to approximate this natural anatomy. The basic principle of this technique is not to use conventional round tunnels but create tunnel shapes that resemble more closely the original ACL insertion sites. Using either a rectangular quadriceps tendon graft or a "flat" hamstring graft may not only provide a biomechanical advantage with increased rotational stability but also improve bone-tendon healing due to increased bone-tendon contact and decreased diffusion length. Creating a C-shaped tibial tunnel also avoids laceration of the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus, which is frequently harmed during conventional tibial tunnel drilling. © 2019 by the Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier.Management of chondral lesions of the femoral head can be challenging. Previously described approaches include arthroscopic surgery for small lesions and open surgical dislocation for larger lesions. In 2001, Ganz popularized the trochanteric flip osteotomy for surgical dislocation, and this remains the workhorse for treatment of large chondral lesions. However, by using a Smith-Peterson (direct anterior) approach and a femoral head allograft, large lesions may be treated while avoiding both trochanteric osteotomy and donor-site morbidity. We present our technique using a Smith-Peterson approach and osteochondral implantation of fresh femoral head allograft for surgical treatment of a femoral head chondral lesion. © 2019 by the Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier.Glenoid rim fractures are recognized as a risk factor for recurrent instability after anterior shoulder dislocation. In addition to traditional open treatments of bony Bankart lesions, several arthroscopic techniques of fixation and reconstruction recently have been described. We present a technique of arthroscopic nonrigid fixation for large glenoid rim fractures, as an alternative to existing procedures. © 2019 by the Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier.Revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions can be performed using either a single-stage or 2-stage technique. There are several benefits to using a single-stage approach when technically possible. Although not always feasible, eliminating the necessity of a 2-stage approach for certain indications is clearly preferable because it requires fewer operative procedures, leads to a more rapid recovery, and is cost effective. Here, we describe the use of fast-setting bone graft substitutes in the setting of single-stage revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The authors have found this technique useful in converting what would sometimes otherwise be approached using 2 stages into a single-stage procedure. © 2020 Published by Elsevier on behalf of the Arthroscopy Association of North America.

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an increasingly common disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and marked dyslipidemia. This study evaluates the effect of vitamin D supplementation alone and in combination with glimepiride in streptozotocin-induced T2DM in rats. Materials and methods A total of 30 Wistar albino rats of either sex weighing 150-200 g were included in the study. The effect of oral administration of vitamin D was evaluated in streptozotocin-induced T2DM in rats. Blood glucose, serum insulin, serum HbA1c, and serum vitamin D were evaluated. Results D treatment has significantly improved hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin sensitivity compared with the non-treated diabetic rats. Oral administration of vitamin D in streptozotocin-induced T2DM reduced blood sugar levels, increased insulin levels (more prominently when administered along with glimepiride) and decreased HbA1c levels (p less then 0.005). Conclusions Administration of vitamin D can improve hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in streptozotocin-induced T2DM in rats. Thus, it could be considered as an add on therapy along with other antidiabetic drugs.Introduction Obesity is the most frequent metabolic disturbance that can target women of reproductive age, among other population groups, and when obese pregnant women become patients, it represents a serious risk factor for both mother and fetus. Aim The aim of this study is to offer an overview of the effects exerted by this disturbance on pregnancy. Materials and methods The study targets 157 pacients admitted to "Alessandrescu-Rusescu" National Institute for Mother and Child Health - Polizu (INSMC), Bucharest, Romania. In order to define the criterion for obesity, WHO classification (body mass index > 30 kg/m²) was used. Data was collected restrospectively after acceptance by the Ethics Committee. Also, we gathered anthropometric data (weight, body mass index and analysis regarding the metabolic profile, including total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, blood sugar, glycosylated haemoglobin) from all subjects. Each analysis was correlated with each patient's body mass index. Ano is rather dependent on each patient's metabolic profile than body weight.Introduction We live in a society with a growing number of diabetics. That is why the number of diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease is expanding, as is the number of cases of chronic ischemia, which threatens limb viability, or chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). The appearance of diabetic foot ulcers with an ischemic component represents the maximum risk of amputation in the absence of a firm and rapid revascularization intervention. In our study, we aim at early detection of patients who need infusion treatment immediately after surgical revascularization. Materials and methods This is a six-year retrospective study of 115 patients with infrainguinal occlusive disease and CLTI. All subjects were classified according to the WIfI system before and after revascularization. We made a score based on the postoperative clinical evolution in the first three days in order to have an objective image of patients who received infusion treatment with PG E1. Results All patients included in our study had diabetes. They were divided into two groups, one comprising 86 patients who underwent exclusively surgical treatment, and the other comprising 29 patients, who received a combined surgical and medical treatment. We showed that subjects who had a low postoperative score and received infusion treatment had a higher rate of limb rescue in the first year. Conclusions In diabetic patients with infrainguinal occlusive disease who were treated in the Clinic, without the possibility of endovascular or hybrid interventions, the combination of infusion treatment with PG E1 after surgical revascularization led to a higher rate of limb rescue and healing of ischemic trophic lesions after one year.Introduction Hemolytic uremic syndrome is the most frequent cause of acute renal failure in children, commonly after gastrointestinal infections with E. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/4-hydroxynonenal.html coli or Salmonella, and it is characterized by progressive renal failure associated with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Cardiac involvement is frequently encountered and can be potentially fatal in hemolytic uremic syndrome. It is usually determined by overhydration, hypertension, anemia, diselectrolytemia, acid-base disorders and tendency to form thrombi, and it consists in the following conditions pericarditis, myocardial infarction, dilated cardiomyopathy, cardiac failure, and arrythmias. Objective The aim of this study is to observe the incidence of cardiovascular complications in children with acute hemolytic uremic syndrome, underline which are the most useful tools in establishing an accurate diagnosis, and discover the treatment protocol that has the most powerful impact upon the cardiovascular manifestations. Materials and meth other antihypertensive drugs).Background Anatomical knowledge about the suprascapular notch is very important in understanding the risk of suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome. Suprascapular nerve injuries have become commonly recognized as a cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction. This study aimed to describe the morphometrical influence of the suprascapular notch on the course of the suprascapular nerve. Method A total of 138 dry human scapulae of both sides of the unknown sex were used. Four measurements were defined and collected for every suprascapular notch maximum depth (MD), superior transverse diameter (STD), middle transverse diameter (MTD), and total circumferential diameter (TCD). Result In the present study we found different shapes of suprascapular notches. Out of 138 scapulae, 67 (48.55%) had U-shaped notch, 29 (21.01%) V-shaped notch and 14 (10.14%) J-shaped notch. Nine (6.52%) scapulae had incomplete notch. Two (1.44%) scapulae had large double foramen. Six (4.34%) scapulae had complete suprascapular notch. In seven (5.07%) scapulae, the notch was absent. Interestingly, in two (1.44%) scapulae, we found a W-shaped notch. This observation was unique and not reported anywhere in the literature before. Conclusion Anatomical knowledge about the morphology of the suprascapular notch is of extreme importance for clinicians, radiologists, neurosurgeons, and orthopedic surgeons in making a proper diagnosis and for planning the surgical procedures of the shoulder region.

Therefore, in the present study, we developed a new method to discover protein-protein interactions with the delayed comparison and Apriori algorithm (DCAA) to address the aforementioned problems. DCAA is based on the idea that there is a lag between functional alterations and the corresponding changes in protein synthesis/PTM. The Apriori algorithm was used to mine association rules from the relationships between items in a dataset and find PPIs based on time-series phosphoproteomic data. The advantage of DCAA is that it does not rely on previous knowledge and the PPI database. The analysis of actual time-series phosphoproteomic data showed that more than 68% of the protein interactions/regulatory relationships predicted by DCAA were accurate. As an analytical tool for PPIs that does not rely on a priori knowledge, DCAA should be useful to predict PPIs from time-series omics data, and this approach is not limited to phosphoproteomic data.Purpose N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation has been implicated in various malignancies. This study aimed to identify the m6A methylation regulator-based prognostic signature for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as provide candidate targets for HCC treatment. Methods The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses were performed to identify a risk signature in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. The risk signature was further validated in International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) datasets. Following transfection of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting YTHDF1, the biological activities of HCC cells were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), wound-healing, Transwell, flow cytometry, and xenograft tumor assays, respectively. The potential mechanisms mediated by YTHDF1 were predicted by overrepresentation enrichment analysis (ORA)/gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and validated by Western blotting. Results Overexpressiontified a robust risk signature consisting of m6A RNA methylation regulators for HCC prognosis. In addition, YTHDF1 was a potential molecular target for HCC treatment.Proteomics, the study of the complete protein composition of a sample, is an important field for cancer research. Changes in the proteome can serve as a biomarker of cancer or lead to the development of a targeted therapy. This minireview will focus on mass spectrometry-based proteomics studies applied specifically to colorectal cancer, particularly the variety of cancer model systems used, including tumor samples, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures such as spheroids and organoids. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ferrostatin-1.html A thorough discussion of the application of these systems will accompany the review of the literature, as each provides distinct advantages and disadvantages for colorectal cancer research. Finally, we provide conclusions and future perspectives for the application of these model systems to cancer research as a whole.The COVID-19 pandemic caused by novel SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in an unprecedented loss of lives and economy around the world. In this study, search for potential inhibitors against two of the best characterized SARS-CoV-2 drug targets S1 glycoprotein receptor-binding domain (RBD) and main protease (3CLPro), was carried out using the soy cheese peptides. A total of 1,420 peptides identified from the cheese peptidome produced using Lactobacillus delbrueckii WS4 were screened for antiviral activity by employing the web tools, AVPpred, and meta-iAVP. Molecular docking studies of the selected peptides revealed one potential peptide "KFVPKQPNMIL" that demonstrated strong affinity toward significant amino acid residues responsible for the host cell entry (RBD) and multiplication (3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2. The peptide was also assessed for its ability to interact with the critical residues of S1 RBD and 3CLpro of other β-coronaviruses. High binding affinity was observed toward critical amino acids of both the targeted proteins in SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and HCoV-HKU1. The binding energy of KFVPKQPNMIL against RBD and 3CLpro of the four viruses ranged from -8.45 to -26.8 kcal/mol and -15.22 to -22.85 kcal/mol, respectively. The findings conclude that cheese, produced by using Lb. delbrueckii WS4, could be explored as a prophylactic food for SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses. In addition, the multi-target inhibitor peptide, which effectively inhibited both the viral proteins, could further be used as a terminus a quo for the in vitro and in vivo function against SARS-CoV-2.Background KLHL5 (Kelch Like Family Member 5) is differentially expressed in gastric cancer, but its correlation with prognosis and functioning mechanism in gastric cancer remain unclear. Methods The Oncomine database and TIMER were employed to appraise the KLHL5 expression in a variety of cancers. The correlation between KLHL5 expression and patient prognosis was extracted from the Kaplan-Meier plotter, GEPIA, and PrognoScan database. Then the relationship between KLHL5 expression and inflammatory infiltrate profiles was inquired by TIMER. Finally, GEPIA and TIMER were explored for the correlative significance between KLHL5 expression and immune cell-related marker sets. Results KLHL5 was found to be differentially expressed and correlated with clinical outcomes in several types of cancers in the TCGA database. Especially, KLHL5 mRNA expression was upregulated and correlated with poorer overall survival and progression-free survival in gastric cancer. Moreover, elevated KLHL5 expression was significantly related with patient node stage, infiltration level, and expression of multiple immune marker sets. Conclusions These results implicate that KLHL5 expression is closely linked with patient clinical outcomes and the microenvironmental infiltration level in different neoplasms. This indicates that KLHL5 is a modulator in infiltrate recruitment, shaping the landscape of immune cell infiltration. Thus, it represents an eligible prognostic predictor for gastric malignancy.The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 has been a serious threat to human health worldwide. The virus SARS-CoV-2 initiates its infection to the human body via the interaction of its spike (S) protein with the human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) of the host cells. Therefore, understanding the fundamental mechanisms of how SARS-CoV-2 S protein receptor binding domain (RBD) binds to ACE2 is highly demanded for developing treatments for COVID-19. Here we implemented multi-scale computational approaches to study the binding mechanisms of human ACE2 and S proteins of both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Electrostatic features, including electrostatic potential, electric field lines, and electrostatic forces of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 were calculated and compared in detail. The results demonstrate that SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 S proteins are both attractive to ACE2 by electrostatic forces even at different distances. However, the residues contributing to the electrostatic features are quite different due to the mutations between SARS-CoV S protein and SARS-CoV-2 S protein.

Over the examined mass concentration range (41 μg/m3 to 287 μg/m3 Hg0 in air), the relative disagreement between the two approaches ranged from (1.0 to 1.8)%. The relative combined standard uncertainty on average is 0.4% and 0.9%, for the LAS and MS methods, respectively. Our comparison studies help validate the accuracy of the ID-CV-ICP-MS primary method as well as establish the LAS technique as an attractive alternative primary method for SI-traceable measurements of GEM.Thioflavin T (ThT) is a commonly employed fluorescence probe for sensing amyloid fibrils. These highly ordered, insoluble nanostructures colocalize with sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) being abundant in the extracellular matrix and on the outer surface of cell membranes. To elucidate the positive impact of GAGs on amyloidogenesis, they are frequently used to promote fibril formation in vitro, which is detected by the enhanced fluorescence of ThT. The polyanionic nature and the affinity of GAGs to basic compounds predict that cationic ThT molecules may also bind to them, in addition to cross-β-structures formed in the reaction medium. By means of circular dichroism (CD) and absorption spectroscopy, this study examined the heparin and chondroitin sulfate binding of ThT. The large blue shift of the absorption peak indicated a card-pack type oligomerization of the dye molecules along the linear GAG chains. The strong exciton couplet observed in the CD spectra implies the left-handed, helical arrangement of GAG-associated oligomers of the dye. The decisive contribution of ionic forces for the binding was illustrated by sodium-ion-provoked dissociation of dye-GAG complexes. In silico analysis was performed to complement the experimental findings and to contribute to the understanding of potential molecular mechanisms underlying ThT-GAG interactions. ThT can be considered as an inert component in GAG-induced amyloid assays but only if the experiments are correctly designed.In diverse viral infections, the production of excess viral particles containing only viral glycoproteins (subviral particles or SVP) is commonly observed and is a commonly evolved mechanism for immune evasion. In hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, spherical particles contain the hepatitis B surface antigen, outnumber infectious virus 10 000-100 000 to 1, and have diverse inhibitory effects on the innate and adaptive immune response, playing a major role in the chronic nature of HBV infection. The current goal of therapies in development for HBV infection is a clinical outcome called functional cure, which signals a persistent and effective immune control of the infection. Although removal of spherical SVP (and the HBsAg they carry) is an important milestone in achieving functional cure, this outcome is rarely achieved with current therapies due to distinct mechanisms for assembly, secretion, and persistence of SVP, which are poorly targeted by direct acting antivirals or immunotherapies. In this Review, the current understanding of the distinct mechanisms involved in the production and persistence of spherical SVP in chronic HBV infection and their immunoinhibitory activity will be reviewed as well as current therapies in development with the goal of clearing spherical SVP and achieving functional cure.Three inorganic-organic hybrid gallo-/alumino-borates [Ga2B7O14(OH)]·H2dah (1, dah = 1,6-diaminohexane), K2[Ga2B7O14(OH)(en)0.5] (2, en = ethylenediamine), and K2[Al2B7O14(OH)(en)0.5]·H2O (3) were synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Compound 1 features a 3D porous-layered structure built by the alternation of [GaB4O10(OH)]6-, [B3O6]3- clusters and GaO4 tetrahedra, in which the novel [GaB4O10(OH)]6- cluster is first observed. Compounds 2 and 3 are isostructural and made by [MB4O10(OH)]6-, [B3O6(en)0.5]3- clusters and MO4 tetrahedra (M = Ga/Al); their 3D porous layers are similar to those of 1 and further bridged by en linkers through the rare B-N-C covalent bonds, resulting in the 3D inorganic-organic hybrid framework. This is the first main-group metal borate with organic molecules participating in the oxoboron frameworks through B-N bonds. Optical diffuse-reflectance spectra reveal that 1, 2, and 3 are potential wide-band-gap semiconductors.A family of homodinuclear Ln3+ (Ln3+ = Gd3+, Eu3+) luminescent complexes with the general formula [Ln2(β-diketonato)6(N-oxide) y ] has been developed to study the effect of the β-diketonato and N-oxide ligands on their thermometric properties. The investigated complexes are [Ln2(tta)6(pyrzMO)2] (Ln = Eu (1·C7H8), Gd (5)), [Ln2(dbm)6(pyrzMO)2] (Ln = Eu (2), Gd (6)), [Ln2(bta)6(pyrzMO)2] (Ln = Eu (3), Gd (7)), [Ln2(hfac)6(pyrzMO)3] (Ln = Eu (4), Gd (8)) (pyrzMO = pyrazine N-oxide, Htta = thenoyltrifluoroacetone, Hdbm = dibenzoylmethane, Hbta = benzoyltrifluoroacetone, Hhfac = hexafluoroacetylacetone, C7H8 = toluene), and their 4,4'-bipyridine N-oxide (bipyMO) analogues. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/tecovirimat.html Europium complexes emit a bright red light under UV radiation at room temperature, whose intensity displays a strong temperature (T) dependence between 223 and 373 K. This remarkable variation is exploited to develop a series of luminescent thermometers by using the integrated intensity of the 5D0 → 7F2 europium transition as the thermometric parameter (Δ). The effect of different β-diketonato and N-oxide ligands is investigated with particular regard to the shape of thermometer calibration (Δ vs T) and relative thermal sensitivity curves i.e.. the change in Δ per degree of temperature variation usually indicated as Sr (% K-1). The thermometric properties are determined by the presence of two nonradiative deactivation channels, back energy transfer (BEnT) from Eu3+ to the ligand triplet levels and ligand to metal charge transfer (LMCT). In the complexes bearing tta and dbm ligands, whose triplet energy is ca. 20000 cm-1, both deactivation channels are active in the same temperature range, and both contribute to determine the thermometric properties. Conversely, with bta and hfac ligands the response of the europium luminescence to temperature variation is ruled by LMCT channels since the high triplet energy (>21400 cm-1) makes BEnT ineffective in the investigated temperature range.

INTRODUCTION Predicting outcome after cardiac arrest is challenging. We previously tested group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) for prognostication based on baseline characteristics and quantitative electroencephalographic (EEG) trajectories. Here, we describe implementation of this method in a freely available software package and test its performance against alternative options. METHODS We included comatose patients admitted to a single center after resuscitation from cardiac arrest from April 2010 to April 2019 who underwent ≥6 h of EEG monitoring. We abstracted clinical information from our prospective registry and summarized suppression ratio in 48 hourly epochs. We tested three classes of longitudinal models frequentist, statistically based GBTMs; non-parametric (i.e. machine learning) k-means models; and Bayesian regression. Our primary outcome of interest was discharge CPC 1-3 (vs unconsciousness or death). We compared sensitivity for detecting poor outcome at a false positive rate (FPR) less then 1%. RESULTS Of 1,010 included subjects, 250 (25%) were awake and alive at hospital discharge. GBTM and k-means derived trajectories, group sizes and group-specific outcomes were comparable. Conditional on an FPR  less then  1%, GBTMs yielded optimal sensitivity (38%) over 48 h. More sensitive methods had 2-3 % FPRs. CONCLUSION We explored fundamentally different tools for patient-level predictions based on longitudinal and time-invariant patient data. Of the evaluated methods, GBTM resulted in optimal sensitivity while maintaining a false positive rate less then 1%. The provided code and software of this method provides an easy-to-use implementation for outcome prediction based on GBTMs. AIMS EEG burst-suppression (BS) heralds poor outcome after cardiac arrest (CA). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sri-011381.html Within this pattern, identical bursts (IB) have been suggested to be absolutely specific, in isolation. We assessed IB prevalence and their added predictive value for poor outcome in a multimodal prognostic approach. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed a registry of comatose adults with CA (April 2011-February 2019), undergoing EEG at 5-36 h and 36-72 h. SB and IB were visually assessed. Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC) at 3 months were dichotomized as "good" (CPC 1-2), or "poor" (CPC 3-5). Sensitivity, specificity, positive, negative predictive values of BS and IB for poor outcome were calculated. A multimodal prognostic score was created assigning one point each to unreactive and epileptiform EEG, pupillary light reflex and SSEPs absence, NSE > 75 μg/l. In a second score, IB were added; predictive performances were compared using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS Of 522 patients, 147 (28%) had BS in any EEG (10 [7%] had good outcome and 129 [88%] died). Of them, 53/147 (36%, 10% of total) showed IB, 47/53 (89%) of which within 36 h. IB were 100% specific for poor outcome, and associated with higher serum NSE than BS. However, there was no significant difference between the scores with and without IB for CPC 3-5 (p = 0.116). CONCLUSION IB occur in 10% of patients after CA. In our multimodal context, IB, albeit being very specific for poor outcome, seem redundant with other predictors. The neuroinflammatory response is considered a crucial event in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neurotoxic amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers activate neuronal glial cells, leading to the elevated generation of a large variety of inflammatory factors. Therefore, the regulation of interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) activity is believed to be a potential target for AD therapy. However, previous evidence of the role of IL-1R in AD-related neuroinflammation is ambiguous. To reveal the exact role of IL-1R in AD and related inflammatory reactions, we generated IL-1R-/- AD mice. Based on the Morris water maze results, 4-month-old IL-1R-/- AD mice showed better learning and memory ability than that of AD mice. However, IL-1R-/- had little influence on amyloid precursor protein proteolysis, while IL-1R-/- increased ADAM17 expression level. Surprisingly, IL-1R-/- even enhanced glial activation. IL-1R-/- indeed attenuated inflammatory cytokine secretion, especially that of cytokins associated with M1 polarization, while it led to increased levels of some cytokins associated with M2 polarization. Finally, we found that IL-1R-/- reduced the phagocytic ability of microglia. Taken together, these results suggest that IL-1R deficiency may alleviate cognitive deficits in AD mice in a manner that is partially dependent on ADAM17 regulation and microglia M2 repolarization. The error-related negativity (ERN) is one of the most researched event-related potentials in the study of cognitive control, and it is thought to capture preconscious error-monitoring. ERN amplitude is known to be modulated by trait and state differences in affect, yet most ERN studies use 'cold' cognitive tasks that do not directly target affective processes involved in cognitive control. For example, speeded response-time tasks that elicit the ERN typically use neutral stimuli (e.g., letters, arrows), yet these paradigms are also flexible enough such that affective or social stimuli can readily be incorporated to target the role of affect in error-monitoring. In this project, the commonly-used arrow flanker task was modified to examine whether the expected behavioral and psychophysiological indices of error-monitoring would be observed using affective and social stimuli. Specifically, four different flanker tasks were administered using a within-subjects design with the following stimuli arrows, neutral faces, unpleasant images, and pleasant images. Analyses indicated that the flanker tasks using arrows and faces elicited expected behavioral patterns (e.g., lower accuracy and slower reaction time on incongruent versus congruent trials) and ERN modulation by error versus correct trials. Although flanker tasks using unpleasant and pleasant stimuli also modulated the ERN, flanker effects on behavioral performance were not as consistent as the other tasks. Further, within incongruent trials, the ERN was larger when affective stimuli needed to be suppressed for a correct response. The correlations of the ERN and behavioral measures across tasks indicated some consistent individual differences in the ERN across tasks as well as substantial task-specific variances. This project lays the foundation for modifying classic error-monitoring tasks in a manner that may better target social and affective constructs that are of interest to clinical researchers.

A sensitivity analysis demonstrates how additional modifications to the downwash algorithm may further improve AERMOD in modeling the spatial location of observed ground-level effluent.The dagger nematodes of the longidorids can cause diseases of various agronomic and horticultural crops, and are consisted of more than 260 valid species. In a forest survey of ecotypes of longidorid nematodes, from the root zone soil of Brant's oak, (Quercus brantii Lindl.) and hawthorn (Crataegus aronia L.) trees, three species of Xiphinema americanum group namely Xiphinema pachtaicum, X. oxycaudatum and X. plesiopachtaicum were collected and studied based on their morphological and morphometric characters. X. pachtaicum is prevalent Xiphinema species in Iran. In this paper additional data for X. oxycaudatum and X. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ko143.html plesiopachtaicum species are presented. X. plesiopachtaicum is a new record for nematode fauna of Iran.Leptodactylus petersii is a species of anuran found in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats and occurs from South America to southern North America and the West Indies. Studies involving the fauna of anuran parasites offer complementary information related to ecology. Thus, since there are few studies on the natural history of this species, this research aims to analyze the diet and the presence of endoparasitic helminths of Leptodactylus petersii from the state of Amapá, Brazil. We found 10 different taxonomic categories of prey in stomach contents, with the categories Hymenoptera (Formicidae) with 32.26 % (n = 12) being the most representative. Among the 12 individuals of L. petersii that were analyzed for helminth parasites, 83.3 % were infected with at least one species of helminths allocated to Phylum Nematoda. Our results report a new occurrence site for Rhabdias breviensis, originally described for Leptodactylus petersii in the state of Pará, as well as the second report of Ortleppascaris sp. in Brazil.The larvae of the genus Baylisascaris can cause larva migrans in mammals and birds. This study investigated the larval migration of Baylisascaris potosis, the roundworm of kinkajou (Potos flavus), in chickens and the associated clinical manifestations of the host. Thirty-six 3-week-old chickens divided into 6 groups were orally inoculated with 3,000 B. potosis eggs/chick. Each group of chicken was necropsied at days 1, 2, 3, 7, 30 and 90 PI (post inoculation), and the number of larvae in various organs were counted until day 90 PI. No clinical signs were observed in chickens during the study. Larvae were detected from the liver, lungs or breast-muscles of 13/36 (36.1%) chickens. The mean total number of larvae in the liver, lungs and breast-muscles at days 1, 2, 3, 7, 30 and 90 PI were 0.34, 0.17, 1.66, 1.01, 0.17 and 0, respectively. No larvae were found in the brain, eyes, hid-limb muscles, heart, kidneys and spleen. Although infectivity of larvae in egg-inoculated chickens was low, the present study demonstrated that B. potosis larvae can migrate in chickens tissues up to day 30 PI. The result suggests that chickens can serve as a paratenic host for B. potosis and may underline a public health importance of B. potosis infection as a potential foodborne disease in humans.Soil treatments with formulated plant biomasses or waste materials can be an effective alternative to green manure crops for a sustainable management of root-knot nematode infestations. The suppressive performance of soil amendments with three commercial formulations of defatted seed meal from Brassica carinata, dry biomass of Medicago sativa and pressed pulp from Beta vulgaris was comparatively evaluated on the root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita both on potted and field tomato (cv. Regina) trials. Products were applied at rates of 10, 20, 30 or 40 g/kg and 20 and 40 T/ ha soil in pots and field, respectively. Soil non treated or treated with the nematicide Oxamyl were used as controls in both experiments. Amendments in potted soil significantly reduced M. incognita infestation on tomato roots compared to both the untreated control and treatment with Oxamyl, also increasing tomato plant growth up to the 30 g/kg soil rate. At the end of the field tomato crop, soil population density of M. incognita resulted significantly reduced by all the tested treatments, whereas tomato yield was significantly higher than the untreated control only at the lowest amendment rate. Soil amendments with the materials tested in this study demonstrated to be a potential additional tool for a satisfactory and safe management of root-knot nematodes.In order to investigate the vertical distribution of soil nematode community under a playa area in the Nizzana inter-sand dune area in the north-western Negev Desert of Israel, soil samples were collected from 0 - 10, 10 - 20, 20 - 30, 30 - 40, and 40 - 50 cm depths in the playa and loessial plain area (as control) during the dry and wet seasons. Each of soil samples was determined for soil moisture, organic matter concentration, electrical conductivity, and nematode community structure and biodiversity. The results revealed that soil moisture, organic matter, electrical conductivity, total nematode abundance and trophic groups were significantly influenced by sampling positions (P less then 0.0001) and depths (P less then 0.05) and significant interaction effect of position and depth (P less then 0.05) was also found. Total number of nematodes in the playa area ranged from 1 to 15 individuals per 100 g dry soil, whereas they ranged from 60 to 631 individuals per 100 g dry soil in the loessial plain are layers (0 - 20 cm) and the number of nematode had gradually decreasing trend with soil depths increasing in the playa area. Moreover, each soil layer had a little nematode abundance and community diversity in the playa area in contrast to loessial plain area during the dry and wet seasons. Sampling sites and depths significantly effected on soil properties, nematode abundance and trophic groups, but nematode ecological indices were affected only by sampling sites.The mature spermatozoon of Khawia armeniaca, a monozoic caryophyllidean parasite of templar fish Capoeta capoeta sevangi (De Filippi, 1865) from the Lake Sevan, Armenia, has been studied using transmission electron microscopy and cytochemical technique of Thiéry (1967) for the first time. The mature spermatozoon of K. armeniaca consists of a single axoneme with the 9+'1' trepaxonematan structure, cortical microtubules and nucleus which are situated parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spermatozoon, and a moderately electrondense cytoplasm with glycogen particles. The cortical microtubules are arranged in one continuous semicircle beneath the plasma membrane in Region II and anterior part of Region III of the mature spermatozoon. The two opposite rows of cortical microtubules are observed in the remaining nuclear and at the beginning of the postnuclear part (Regions III, IV) of the male gamete The number of cortical microtubules is remarkably variable in the spermatozoa of various Khawia species. K. armeniaca exhibits the highest number of cortical microtubules in comparison with K.

This study aimed to determine the proportions of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) attributable to obesity in Ireland and the associated hospital costs. Sex- and age-specific numbers of primary TKA and THA procedures and length of stay were estimated using Irish population data from the Central Statistics Office (sex and age) and data from the national Hospital Inpatient Enquiry (numbers of TKA and THA procedures, length of stay, diagnostic-related group codes, sex, and age). Population attributable fractions of TKA and THA related to obesity were calculated using relative risks for different weight groups obtained from published literature. Nationally representative weight and height data were available from the 2015 Healthy Ireland Survey (n= 6142) and extrapolated to the Irish population. Diagnostic-related group tariffs from the Healthcare Pricing Office were used to estimate hospital costs of TKA and THA. In 2015, 2296 TKA and 3411 THA procedures were performed in public hospitals in Ireland. Of those procedures, 43% of TKA and 20% of THA were attributable to obesity. This equates to €16.0 million out of €52.1 million of TKA- and THA-related hospital costs. Effective obesity control has potential to decrease the demand for joint replacements and associated costs. Effective obesity control has potential to decrease the demand for joint replacements and associated costs.The calcium release-activated calcium channel Orai regulates Ca2+ entry into non-excitable cells and is required for proper immune function. While the channel typically opens following Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum, certain pathologic mutations render the channel constitutively open. Previously, using one such mutation (H206A), we obtained low (6.7 Å) resolution X-ray structural information on Drosophila melanogaster Orai in an open conformation (Hou et al., 2018). Here we present a structure of this open conformation at 3.3 Å resolution using fiducial-assisted cryo-electron microscopy. The improved structure reveals the conformations of amino acids in the open pore, which dilates by outward movements of subunits. A ring of phenylalanine residues repositions to expose previously shielded glycine residues to the pore without significant rotational movement of the associated helices. Together with other hydrophobic amino acids, the phenylalanines act as the channel's gate. Structured M1-M2 turrets, not evident previously, form the channel's extracellular entrance.Sponges are suspension feeders that filter vast amounts of water. Pumping is carried out by flagellated chambers that are connected to an inhalant and exhalant canal system. In 'leucon' sponges with relatively high-pressure resistance due to a complex and narrow canal system, pumping and filtering are only possible owing to the presence of a gasket-like structure (forming a canopy above the collar filters). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/cay10603.html Here, we combine numerical and experimental work and demonstrate how sponges that lack such sealing elements are able to efficiently pump and force the flagella-driven flow through their collar filter, thanks to the formation of a 'hydrodynamic gasket' above the collar. Our findings link the architecture of flagellated chambers to that of the canal system, and lend support to the current view that the sponge aquiferous system evolved from an open-type filtration system, and that the first metazoans were filter feeders.Wnt signaling is downregulated in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) and contributes to the block of differentiation. Epigenetic mechanisms leading to its suppression are unknown and could pave the way toward novel therapeutic modalities. We demonstrate that EHMT2 suppresses canonical Wnt signaling by activating expression of the Wnt antagonist DKK1. Inhibition of EHMT2 expression or activity in human ERMS cell lines reduced DKK1 expression and elevated canonical Wnt signaling resulting in myogenic differentiation in vitro and in mouse xenograft models in vivo. Mechanistically, EHMT2 impacted Sp1 and p300 enrichment at the DKK1 promoter. The reduced tumor growth upon EHMT2 deficiency was reversed by recombinant DKK1 or LGK974, which also inhibits Wnt signaling. Consistently, among 13 drugs targeting chromatin modifiers, EHMT2 inhibitors were highly effective in reducing ERMS cell viability. Our study demonstrates that ERMS cells are vulnerable to EHMT2 inhibitors and suggest that targeting the EHMT2-DKK1-β-catenin node holds promise for differentiation therapy.All organisms on Earth are exposed to low doses of natural radioactivity but some habitats are more radioactive than others. Yet, documenting the influence of natural radioactivity on the evolution of biodiversity is challenging. Here, we addressed whether organisms living in naturally more radioactive habitats accumulate more mutations across generations using 14 species of waterlice living in subterranean habitats with contrasted levels of radioactivity. We found that the mitochondrial and nuclear mutation rates across a waterlouse species' genome increased on average by 60% and 30%, respectively, when radioactivity increased by a factor of three. We also found a positive correlation between the level of radioactivity and the probability of G to T (and complementary C to A) mutations, a hallmark of oxidative stress. We conclude that even low doses of natural bedrock radioactivity influence the mutation rate possibly through the accumulation of oxidative damage, in particular in the mitochondrial genome.Subcellular compartmentalisation is necessary for eukaryotic cell function. Spatial and temporal regulation of kinesin activity is essential for building these local environments via control of intracellular cargo distribution. Kinesin-binding protein (KBP) interacts with a subset of kinesins via their motor domains, inhibits their microtubule (MT) attachment, and blocks their cellular function. However, its mechanisms of inhibition and selectivity have been unclear. Here we use cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the structure of KBP and of a KBP-kinesin motor domain complex. KBP is a tetratricopeptide repeat-containing, right-handed α-solenoid that sequesters the kinesin motor domain's tubulin-binding surface, structurally distorting the motor domain and sterically blocking its MT attachment. KBP uses its α-solenoid concave face and edge loops to bind the kinesin motor domain, and selected structure-guided mutations disrupt KBP inhibition of kinesin transport in cells. The KBP-interacting motor domain surface contains motifs exclusively conserved in KBP-interacting kinesins, suggesting a basis for kinesin selectivity.

Population cardiovascular health, or improving cardiovascular health among patients and the population at large, requires a redoubling of primordial and primary prevention efforts as declines in cardiovascular disease mortality have decelerated over the past decade. Great potential exists for healthcare systems-based approaches to aid in reversing these trends. A learning healthcare system, in which population cardiovascular health metrics are measured, evaluated, intervened on, and re-evaluated, can serve as a model for developing the evidence base for developing, deploying, and disseminating interventions. This scientific statement on optimizing population cardiovascular health summarizes the current evidence for such an approach; reviews contemporary sources for relevant performance and clinical metrics; highlights the role of implementation science strategies; and advocates for an interdisciplinary team approach to enhance the impact of this work. Social determinants of health (SDH) are individually associated with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events. Indices reflecting social deprivation have been developed for population management, but are difficult to operationalize during clinical care. We examined whether a simple count of SDH is associated with fatal incident CHD and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI). We used data from the prospective longitudinal REGARDS cohort study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke), a national population-based sample of community-dwelling Black and White adults age ≥45 years recruited from 2003 to 2007. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/mk571.html Seven SDH from the 5 Healthy People 2020 domains included social context (Black race, social isolation); education (educational attainment); economic stability (annual household income); neighborhood (living in a zip code with high poverty); and health care (lacking health insurance, living in 1 of the 9 US states with the least public health infrastructure). Outcomes were expert adjudicaident CHD, with greater magnitude and independent associations for fatal incident CHD. Counting the number of SDHs may be a promising approach that could be incorporated into clinical care to identify individuals at high risk of CHD. A greater burden of SDH was associated with a graded increase in risk of incident CHD, with greater magnitude and independent associations for fatal incident CHD. Counting the number of SDHs may be a promising approach that could be incorporated into clinical care to identify individuals at high risk of CHD.Body weight, height, and other simple, noninvasive anthropometric measures are the cornerstones of epidemiological research. Body composition determinants such as fat and lean tissue masses and their distributions are better associated with metabolic conditions, such as diabetes, than anthropometrics alone. However, body composition is generally more challenging to measure. This analysis article comments on the manuscript by Cichosz et al that appeared in this issue of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, where a machine-learning approach was developed to predict body composition using measured anthropometric parameters for potentially easier estimations of risk factors of metabolic diseases in the future. It remained unclear whether tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) related renal impairment had impact on the survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Clinicopathological parameters of patients with mRCC treated with TKIs were retrospectively reviewed. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at baseline and during TKIs treatment were recorded. BUN > 7.1mol/L, eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m and/or proteinuria level > 0.3 g/L were defined as renal impairment. eGFR and proteinuria were furtherly classified into different levels. Treatment outcomes were defined as progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). At baseline, the presence of abnormal BUN, eGFR and proteinuria level were observed in 25 (22.7%), 27 (25.5%) and 30 (27.3%) patients, which increased to 46 (41.8%), 55 (50.0%) and 64 (58.2%) respectively after TKIs treatment. In the whole cohort (N = 110), survival analysis suggested that only post-treatment renal impairment was related to survival outcomes. Interestingly, sub-analysis showed that post-treatment eGFR level (p = 0.004), proteinuria (p = 0.014) and eGFR decrease >10% (p = 0.012) and elevated proteinuria compared with baseline (p = 0.006) were statistically correlated with OS among patients without RI at baseline (N = 51). On the contrary, deterioration of renal impairment after TKIs treatment in patients with renal impairment at baseline (N = 59) had no relationship with either PFS or OS. Furthermore, eGFR (p = 0.020) and eGFR decrease >10% (p = 0.016) within 1 year after TKIs therapy were potential biomarkers for OS. Dynamic changes of TKI-induced RI during TKIs treatment, especially eGFR and proteinuria level, could be considered as potential biomarkers predicting survival outcomes of mRCC patients. Dynamic changes of TKI-induced RI during TKIs treatment, especially eGFR and proteinuria level, could be considered as potential biomarkers predicting survival outcomes of mRCC patients.Diamond magnetometry is a quantum sensing method involving detection of magnetic resonances with nanoscale resolution. For instance, T1 relaxation measurements, inspired by equivalent concepts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provide a signal that is equivalent to T1 in conventional MRI but in a nanoscale environment. We use nanodiamonds (between 40 and 120 nm) containing ensembles of specific defects called nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers. To perform a T1 relaxation measurement, we pump the NV center in the ground state (using a laser at 532 nm) and observe how long the NV center can remain in this state. Here, we use this method to provide real-time measurements of free radicals when they are generated in a chemical reaction. Specifically, we focus on the photolysis of H2O2 as well as the so-called Haber-Weiss reaction. Both of these processes are important reactions in biological environments. Unlike other fluorescent probes, diamonds are able to determine spin noise from different species in real time. We also investigate different diamond probes and their ability to sense gadolinium spin labels.

To evaluate the serum vitamin D levels of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). A total of 39 VKC patients (21 males and 18 females) and 32 healthy individuals (19 males and 13 females) were enrolled in this study with the mean age of 18.38 ± 8.83 and 21.6 ± 9.43, respectively. The type and the grade of VKC were identified for each patient and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels of all subjects were evaluated. The patients affected by VKC had statistically significant lower 25(OH)D levels (27.64 ± 8.50 ng/mL) than healthy subjects group (35.96 ± 11.34 ng/mL) (  = 0.001). A reverse correlation was found between the serum vitamin D levels and the severity of the VKC but it was not statistically significant (  = -0.159,  = 0.33). Besides, there were a few cases with severe and very severe VKC (2 in grade 3 and 4 in grade 4). Patients with the mixed type of the disease had lower serum vitamin D levels in comparison to tarsal and limbal forms but the difference was not statistically significant (  = 0.38). This study shows that the patients affected by VKC have lower vitamin D levels in comparison to healthy subjects and the screening of all patients with VKC for vitamin D levels seems rational. This study shows that the patients affected by VKC have lower vitamin D levels in comparison to healthy subjects and the screening of all patients with VKC for vitamin D levels seems rational.Invasive fungal sinusitis is a morbid pathology that typically affects immunocompromised patients and may quickly progress to fulminant disease. The purpose of this study was to measure the sensitivity and specificity of touch preparation of nasal debridement specimens as a rapid diagnostic tool for invasive fungal sinusitis. A retrospective chart review was performed of 22 patients undergoing nasal debridement due to suspicion for invasive fungal sinusitis over a 10-year period. Thirteen patients had touch preparation of nasal specimens followed by routine histologic processing; two of these patients underwent 2, and 1 patient had 3 separate debridements, for a total of 17 touch preparations performed. The sensitivity and specificity of touch preparation were calculated by correlating the initial results with the presence of fungal invasion on final pathologic analysis. The sensitivity of touch preparation was 56% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23-0.85), specificity was 100% (95% CI 0.60-1.00), positive predictive value was 100% (95% CI 0.46-1.00), and negative predictive value was 67% (95% CI 0.35-0.89). This procedure may be a useful adjunct in situations requiring rapid diagnosis of invasive fungal sinusitis but should not be used as the sole criteria for determining the need for surgical intervention.Genetic characterization of wild and cultivated plants provides valuable knowledge for conservation and agriculture. DNA sequencing technologies are improving, and costs are dropping. Yet analysis of many species is hindered because they grow in regions that lack infrastructure for advanced molecular biology. The authors developed and adapted low-cost methods that address these issues. Tissue was collected and stored in silica gel, avoiding the need for liquid nitrogen and freezers. The authors optimized low-cost, homemade DNA extraction to increase yields, reduce costs and produce DNA suitable for next-generation sequencing. The authors describe how to build a gel documentation system for DNA quantification. As a proof of principle, the authors used these methods to evaluate wild Berberis darwinii, native to Southern Chile.A novel tool for the presentation of peptides and small proteins on the surface of human cells has been developed. Our tANCHOR system utilizes tetraspanin anchors containing heterologous amino acid sequences inserted instead of the large extracellular loop. This technology allows a highly effective extracellular display of epitopes for antibody binding studies and many other potential applications. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (Trans-PRK) with femtosecond laser assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) for the correction of low to moderate myopia. A retrospective cohort study design was used. The study group included patients with myopia less than -6.0 D, with or without concomitant astigmatism under 2.0 D, who were treated with FS-LASIK or Trans-PRK in 2013 through 2014. Background, clinical and outcome data were collected from the patient files. A comparison between eyes treated with FS-LASIK or Trans-PRK was performed. The Trans-PRK group was comprised of 1793 eyes and the FS-LASIK group of 666 eyes. Mean ± SD spherical equivalent (SE) refraction prior to surgery was -3.43 ± 1.27 D in the Trans-PRK group and -3.18 ± 1.34 D in the FS-LASIK group (  < 0.001). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/tinengotinib.html Efficacy index values were 0.95 ± 0.14 in the Trans-PRK group and 0.98 ± 0.12 in the FS-LASIK group (  < 0.001), and corresponding safety index values were 0.96 ± 0.13 and 0.99 ± 0.12 (  < 0.001). Distance from target refraction was 0.45 ± 0.42 D in Trans-PRK group and 0.43 ± 0.38 D in the FS-LASIK group (  = 0.537); 71.6% and 74.2% of eyes were within ±0.5 D of attempted correction, respectively (  = 0.193). Both Trans-PRK and FS-LASIK demonstrated excellent results, mostly comparable with the current literature. FS-LASIK achieved better results than Trans-PRK surgery in the efficacy and safety parameters. Both Trans-PRK and FS-LASIK demonstrated excellent results, mostly comparable with the current literature. FS-LASIK achieved better results than Trans-PRK surgery in the efficacy and safety parameters.Brahucins A (1) and B (2), the new oleanane-type triterpene lactones, have been isolated from the EtOAc-soluble fraction of Spiraea brahuica Boiss, along with betulinic acid (3), oleanolic acid (4), 3-O-(β-D-glucopyranosyl) oleanolic acid (5), vanillic acid (6) and caffeic acid (7), reported for the first time from this species. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic studies including MS, IR, 1D and 2D NMR.