Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Prostate Biopsy Antibiotic Prophylaxis: Standard vs. Augmented Antibiotic Regimens, and the Role for Pre-Biopsy Rectal Swab Cultures

Objectives: To evaluate peri-procedural antibiotic prophylaxis regimens based on pre-procedural rectal swab cultures. To evaluate infection rates between transrectalbiopsy patients receiving FQs alone and those receiving ceftriaxone or gentamicin in addition to FQs.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/patientsafetyposters/1056/thumbnail.jp

A set of reference sequences for the hepatitis C genotypes 4d, 4f, and 4k covering the full open reading frame

Infection with genotype 4 of the Hepatitis C virus is common in Africa and the Mediterranean area, but has also been found at increasing frequencies in injection drug users in Europe and North America. Full length viral sequences to characterize viral diversity and structure have recently become available mostly for subtype 4a, and studies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where high proportions of subtype 4a infected patients exist, have begun to establish optimized treatment regimens. However knowledge about other subtype variants of genotype 4 present in less developed African states is lacking. In this study the full coding region from so far poorly characterized variants of HCV genotype 4 was amplified and sequenced using a long range PCR technique. Sequences were analyzed with respect to phylogenetic relationship, possible recombination and prominent sequence characteristics compared to other known HCV strains. We present for the first time two full-length sequences from the HCV genotype 4k, in addition to five strains from HCV genotypes 4d and 4f. Reference sequences for accurate HCV genotyping are required for optimized treatment, and a better knowledge of the global viral sequence diversity is needed to guide vaccines or new drugs effective in the world wide epidemic

El informe de arbitraje según la recomendación de publicación y la productividad de los evaluadores

El informe de arbitraje de artículos de investigación es un género en el que se cristaliza una parte del proceso colectivo de construcción del conocimiento. Debido a su carácter confidencial, existen muy pocos trabajos que aborden empíricamente este género. A su vez, esos pocos estudios tienen una serie de limitantes, como la falta de definición de la unidad de análisis y la falta de integración de los datos discursivos con los datos sociales de quienes los producen. En este trabajo, presentamos un modelo que busca superar limitantes. Aplicamos este modelo para describir cómo varía el informe de arbitraje según dos atributos extralingüísticos, la recomendación de publicación (aceptar, condicionar o rechazar) y el número de artículos publicados por los evaluadores. Los resultados muestran que ambos atributos extralingüísticos se asocian a cambios específicos del discurso de este género, siendo la recomendación de publicación más determinante que la productividad de los evaluadores.The referee report of research articles is a discursive genre in which a part of the collective process of building knowledge is crystalized. Given its confidentiality, there is little empirical work on this genre. Among these few contributions, a series of limitations can be identified, such as the lack of definition of the unit of analysis or the lack of integration between discursive and sociometric data. In this article, we present a model that contributes to overcoming these limitations. The model was applied with the purpose of analyzing the variation of referee reports according to two extralinguistic variables, i.e., publication recommendation (accepted, conditioned, rejected) and referee's number of published articles. The results showed that both extralinguistic attributes were associated with specific discourse variations, of which publication recommendation was more decisive than referee's academic productivity

Studies on the Reactions of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons With Nitrogen-Dioxide in Aprotic Solvents.

There is recent evidence that free radical nitration reactions occur in polluted urban air, and that the nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NO\sb2-PAH) produced by this reaction pathway account for a substantial amount of the total NO\sb2-PAH found in ambient particulate organic matter. The nitration of PAH with nitrogen dioxide in solvents of low polarity has been studied as a model for the reactions occurring in the atmosphere (gas phase). While vast amounts of data are available for the electrophilic ionic nitration and its mechanism of reaction is considered well-established (and often included in sophomore Chemistry books), the literature documents relatively few reports on the mechanism of reaction of PAH with nitrogen dioxide. Our studies indicate that: (1) a free radical mechanism operates in solvents of low dielectric constant (e.g. CCl\sb4) and becomes less important as the dielectric constant is increased (CHCl\sb3, CH\sb2Cl\sb2, THF, CH\sb3CN, CH\sb3NO\sb2), (2) Bronsted and Lewis acids, and lower temperatures promote the electrophilic ionic reaction pathway, (3) the free radical mechanism involves metastable adducts of the PAH and two to four nitrogen dioxide equivalents, (4) the radical reaction yields nonconventional substitution patterns of dinitro-PAH even at low conversions (e.g. 1,2- and 1,3-dinitrofluoranthenes and, 1,3- and 2,3-dinitronaphthalenes), (5) the radical reaction of anthracene with nitrogen dioxide yields cis- and trans-9,10-dinitro,9,10-dihydroanthracene, which are isolable, (6) in radical nitration, the nitro-group does not have a strong deactivating effect towards further nitration as in electrophilic ionic nitration, in fact, its effect in radical nitration is frequently that of slight activation

PHD2 regulates arteriogenic macrophages through TIE2 signalling

Peer reviewe

Microguards and micromessengers of the genome

The regulation of gene expression is of fundamental importance to maintain organismal function and integrity and requires a multifaceted and highly ordered sequence of events. The cyclic nature of gene expression is known as ‘transcription dynamics’. Disruption or perturbation of these dynamics can result in significant fitness costs arising from genome instability, accelerated ageing and disease. We review recent research that supports the idea that an important new role for small RNAs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), is in protecting the genome against short-term transcriptional fluctuations, in a process we term ‘microguarding’. An additional emerging role for miRNAs is as ‘micromessengers’—through alteration of gene expression in target cells to which they are trafficked within microvesicles. We describe the scant but emerging evidence that miRNAs can be moved between different cells, individuals and even species, to exert biologically significant responses. With these two new roles, miRNAs have the potential to protect against deleterious gene expression variation from perturbation and to themselves perturb the expression of genes in target cells. These interactions between cells will frequently be subject to conflicts of interest when they occur between unrelated cells that lack a coincidence of fitness interests. Hence, there is the potential for miRNAs to represent both a means to resolve conflicts of interest, as well as instigate them. We conclude by exploring this conflict hypothesis, by describing some of the initial evidence consistent with it and proposing new ideas for future research into this exciting topic

Genistein supplementation and cardiac function in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome: Results from a pilot strain-echo study

Genistein, a soy-derived isoflavone,may improve cardiovascular risk profile in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (MetS), but few literature data on its cardiac effects in humans are available. The aim of this sub-study of a randomized double-blind case-control study was to analyze the effect on cardiac function of one-year genistein dietary supplementation in 22 post-menopausal patients with MetS. Participants received 54 mg/day of genistein (n = 11) or placebo (n = 11) in combination with a Mediterranean-style diet and regular exercise. Left ventricular (LV) systolic function was assessed as the primary endpoint, according to conventional and strain-echocardiography measurements. Also, left atrial (LA) morphofunctional indices were investigated at baseline and at the final visit. Results were expressed as median with interquartile range (IQ). A significant improvement of LV ejection fraction (20.3 (IQ 12.5) vs. -1.67 (IQ 24.8); p = 0.040)), and LA area fractional change (11.1 (IQ 22.6) vs. 2.8 (9.5); p = 0.034)) were observed in genistein patients compared to the controls, following 12 months of treatment. In addition, body surface area indexed LA systolic volume and peak LA longitudinal strain significantly changed from basal to the end of the study in genistein-treated patients. One-year supplementation with 54 mg/day of pure genistein improved both LV ejection fraction and LA remodeling and function in postmenopausal women with MetS

Factors affecting the spectrophotometric quantification of flavonoids in wine

The quantification of flavonoids in wine and grape skin extract by spectrophotometric evaluation at 280 nm wavelength provides essential information to oenologist concerning wine composition and evolution and itis commonly applied in wine labs. The measurement of the absorption peak height at 280 nm reported by DI STEFANO and GUIDONI (1989) prevents from the interferences arising from non flavonoid compounds. However, it showed to be affected by SO2 at low pH or acetone in unpurified grape skin extracts. Moreover, the effect of pH on flavonoids quantification in wine, either containing or not SO2, has been not assessed. The effect of SO2, purification, pH and dilution solvent on spectrophotometric quantification of flavonoids in red wine samples has been evaluated in this work. SO2 can overrate the flavonoids content in red wine when ethanol and Cl- ions are contained in acid dilution solvents. A wine sample dilution with a strong acid solvent is mandatory to attain a reliable quantification of flavonoids due to the low anthocyanins absorption at 280 nm in water solution. A minor effect arises from the ethanol content. Eventually, flavonoids can be quantified in SO2-containing wine diluted with a strong acid solution but a 7% overrating should be expected