Renal function outcomes after nephrectomy for kidney cancer in elderly patients

The kidneys are organs with multiple functions and essential to maintain life. Ablative procedures, such as nephrectomy, diminish nephron mass and can have a potentially negative impact on renal function. We investigated renal function outcome in patients who underwent nephrectomy for renal cell cancer with special emphasize on elderly patients. Data from 104 patients who underwent nephrectomy for kidney cancer in the Department of Urology, University Hospital Rijeka from January 2005 to December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had a normal concentration of serum creatinine and a normal contralateral kidney before surgery. Renal function, as estimated by the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), was determined before and after nephrectomy using the abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. We compared the eGFR before and after nephrectomy in the patients of different age. The mean preoperative eGFR was 75.2 mL/min, and the mean postoperative eGFR was 52.7 mL/min (p < 0.0001). In the group of patients > or = 65 years old, the mean preoperative GFR was 69.2 mL/min, and the mean postoperative eGFR was 47.4 mL/min (p < 0.0001). Our data indicate that the eGFR significantly decreased after nephrectomy for kidney cancer. In elderly patients, diminished renal function following nephrectomy was more prominent.     

Polynitroxyl albumin plus tempol attenuates liver injury and inflammation after hepatic ischemia and reperfusion

PNA+Tempol, albumin containing conjugated (polynitroxyl albumin; PNA) and free (4-hydroxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidinyl-1-oxyl; Tempol) nitroxide may protect against injury caused by reactive oxygen species. Therefore, the actions of PNA+Tempol on liver injury and inflammation induced by hepatic ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) were examined. Rats were subjected to 1 h ischemia followed by 24 h reperfusion in the absence (I/R) or presence of PNA+Tempol (25%; 15 mL/kg, i.v.) (I/R+PNA+Tempol) or human serum albumin (23%; 13.5 mL/kg, i.v.) (I/R+HSA). Test solutions were administered prior to and for 2 h during reperfusion. Sham-operated rats underwent surgery with neither ischemia nor infusion. I/R+PNA+Tempol rats had significantly less liver injury and inflammation than I/R rats. I/R+PNA+Tempol livers exhibited focal lesions whereas I/R livers exhibited global necrosis. Likewise, plasma ALT activity was significantly lower in I/R+PNA+Tempol rats. PNA+Tempol reduced I/R-induced neutrophil accumulation and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression. HSA did not alter I/R-induced liver injury or inflammation. Sham-operated rats exhibited normal liver morphology and no inflammation. Attenuation of I/R liver injury by PNA+Tempol may be mediated by its effect on inflammation, the major contributor to I/R injury. Reduction of inflammation by PNA+Tempol is most likely due to the antioxidative nature of the nitroxides.     

Variations in mugwort (Artemisia spp.) airborne pollen concentrations at three sites in central Croatia, in period from 2002 to 2003

In spite of the low atmospheric pollen levels, Artemisia sensitisation and allergy has been reported widely. The aim of the study was to determine the length of pollen season, intradiurnal, daily and monthly pollen variation, and the effect of some meteorological parameters on atmospheric pollen concentrations in Central Croatia. Seven-day Hirst volumetric pollen and spore traps were used for pollen sampling. The Artemisia pollen season lasted from the end of July until the end of September with the highest concentrations in August. The percentage of the total pollen count ranged from 0.52% to 0.92%. The intradiurnal peak occurred between 10 a.m. and 12 a.m. Statistical analysis showed a significant correlations between higher air temperature and high pollen concentration as well as high precipitation and low pollen concentration. Results of this study are expected to help in preventing the symptoms of allergic reaction in individuals with Artemisia pollen hypersensitivity.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of volatiles from Degenia velebitica, a European stenoendemic plant of the Brassicaceae family

Free and glucosidic bound leaf volatiles of Degenia velebitica were isolated and fractionated simultaneously into H₂O‐soluble, H₂O‐insoluble, and highly volatile compounds by hydrodistillation–adsorption (HDA) and analyzed by GC/MS. Among the 24 constituents identified, the main compounds obtained by the HDA method were S‐ and/or N‐atom containing compounds, i.e., 6‐(methylsulfanyl)hexanenitrile ( 10 ; 26.78%), dimethyl trisulfide ( 6 ; 26.35%), 3,4,5‐trimethylpyrazole ( 17 ; 13.33%), hex‐5‐enenitrile ( 2 ; 10.11%), dimethyl tetrasulfide ( 8 ; 4.93%), and pent‐4‐enyl isothiocyanate ( 7 ; 4.45%). In addition, O‐glycosidically bound volatiles and free volatiles were isolated by solvent extraction. Sixteen volatile O‐aglycones and twelve free volatile components were identified. The main O‐aglycones were eugenol ( 19 ; 24.15%), 2‐methoxy‐4‐vinylphenol ( 11 ; 11.50%), and benzyl alcohol ( 20 ; 9.49%), and the main free volatiles were (9Z,12Z)‐octa‐9,12‐dienic acid (38.35%), hexadecanoic acid (22.64%), and phytol (5.80%). The H₂O‐soluble volatile fraction obtained by HDA, containing mostly glucosinolate degradation products and 3,4,5‐trimethylpyrazole ( 17 ), was evaluated for antimicrobial activity by determining inhibition zones with the diffusion method as well as minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal microbicidal concentrations (MMC) with the micro‐dilution method. The fraction expressed activity against the tested Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria as well as against yeast, with MIC values equal to or lower than 16.7 μg/ml.     

Facilitating the Recruitment of Minority Ethnic People into Research: Qualitative Case Study of South Asians and Asthma

Background

There is international interest in enhancing recruitment of minority ethnic people into research, particularly in disease areas with substantial ethnic inequalities. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that UK South Asians are at three times increased risk of hospitalisation for asthma when compared to white Europeans. US asthma trials are far more likely to report enrolling minority ethnic people into studies than those conducted in Europe. We investigated approaches to bolster recruitment of South Asians into UK asthma studies through qualitative research with US and UK researchers, and UK community leaders.

Methods and Findings

Interviews were conducted with 36 researchers (19 UK and 17 US) from diverse disciplinary backgrounds and ten community leaders from a range of ethnic, religious, and linguistic backgrounds, followed by self-completion questionnaires. Interviews were digitally recorded, translated where necessary, and transcribed. The Framework approach was used for analysis. Barriers to ethnic minority participation revolved around five key themes: (i) researchers'' own attitudes, which ranged from empathy to antipathy to (in a minority of cases) misgivings about the scientific importance of the question under study; (ii) stereotypes and prejudices about the difficulties in engaging with minority ethnic populations; (iii) the logistical challenges posed by language, cultural differences, and research costs set against the need to demonstrate value for money; (iv) the unique contexts of the two countries; and (v) poorly developed understanding amongst some minority ethnic leaders of what research entails and aims to achieve. US researchers were considerably more positive than their UK counterparts about the importance and logistics of including ethnic minorities, which appeared to a large extent to reflect the longer-term impact of the National Institutes of Health''s requirement to include minority ethnic people.

Conclusions

Most researchers and community leaders view the broadening of participation in research as important and are reasonably optimistic about the feasibility of recruiting South Asians into asthma studies provided that the barriers can be overcome. Suggested strategies for improving recruitment in the UK included a considerably improved support structure to provide academics with essential contextual information (e.g., languages of particular importance and contact with local gatekeepers), and the need to ensure that care is taken to engage with the minority ethnic communities in ways that are both culturally appropriate and sustainable; ensuring reciprocal benefits was seen as one key way of avoiding gatekeeper fatigue. Although voluntary measures to encourage researchers may have some impact, greater impact might be achieved if UK funding bodies followed the lead of the US National Institutes of Health requiring recruitment of ethnic minorities. Such a move is, however, likely in the short- to medium-term, to prove unpopular with many UK academics because of the added “hassle” factor in engaging with more diverse populations than many have hitherto been accustomed to. Please see later in the article for the Editors'' Summary     

Affinity labeling of highly hydrophobic integral membrane proteins for proteome-wide analysis

The ability to identify and quantitate integral membrane proteins is an analytical challenge for mass spectrometry-based proteomics. The use of surfactants to solubilize and facilitate derivatization of these proteins can suppress peptide ionization and interfere with chromatographic separations during microcapillary reversed-phase liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry. To circumvent the use of surfactants and increase proteome coverage, an affinity labeling method has been developed to target highly hydrophobic integral membrane proteins using organic-assisted extraction and solubilization followed by cysteinyl-specific labeling using biotinylation reagents. As demonstrated on the membrane subproteome of Deinococcus radiodurans, specific and quantitative labeling of integral membrane proteins was achieved using a 60% methanol-aqueous buffer system and (+)-biotinyl-iodoacetamidyl-3,6-dioxaoctanediamine as the cysteinyl-alkylating reagent. From a total of 220 unique Cys-labeled peptides, 89 proteins were identified, of which 40 were integral membrane proteins containing from one to nine mapped transmembrane domains with a maximum positive GRAVY of 1.08. The protocol described can be used with other stable isotope labeling reagents (e.g., ICAT) to enable comparative measurements to be made on differentially expressed hydrophobic membrane proteins from various organisms (e.g., pathogenic bacteria) and cell types and provide a viable method for comparative proteome-wide analyses.     

Deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene in elderly patients with coronary heart disease

Controversy exists as to whether the deletion/deletion (DD) genotype of angiotensin l-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). There are only a few studies dealing with this issue in the elderly, also with controversial results. The aim of this study was the assessment of correlation between genetic markers and the risk of CHD in the elderly. The results indicated DD genotype importance for CHD in the elderly as proven by discriminant analysis (chi2 = 25.77; df = 16; p = 0.0620). However, the use of univariate method demonstrated no correlation between DD genotype of ACE gene polymorphism and coronary artery disease. D allele of ACE gene was associated with higher activities of ACE plasma. A weak, but increased risk of MI is associated with high frequency of DD genotype in the elderly. Strong correlation between ACE polymorphism and ACE plasma activities was demonstrated.     

A phylostratigraphy approach to uncover the genomic history of major adaptations in metazoan lineages

Macroevolutionary trends traditionally are studied by fossil analysis, comparative morphology or evo-devo approaches. With the availability of genome sequences and associated data from an increasing diversity of taxa, it is now possible to add an additional level of analysis: genomic phylostratigraphy. As an example of this approach, we use a phylogenetic framework and embryo expression data from Drosophila to show that grouping genes by their phylogenetic origin can uncover footprints of important adaptive events in evolution.     

Histopathology of the pterygium in population on Croatian Island Rab

In the 1975-2004 period, 130 cases of pterygium were estimated, 83 males and 47 females, on a small island Rab. Island Rab is located in the north part of the Adriatic sea, which has very high index of sun radiation. Pterygium is usually histopathologically defined as a hyperplasia of conjunctival tissue, elastoid degeneration of subepithelieum and fragmentation of Bowman's membrane. Our histopathological findings in 73 eyes are following: conjunctiva with neovascularisation, leukocyte margination and subepithelial basophilic degeneration, proliferation of conjunctival tissue, acanthosis and squamous metaplasia, and mucinous elements, focaly present plasma cells, focuses of increased pigmentisation in basal epithelial layers, tenon capsule with edema, diffuse neovascularisation and fragmentation of fibrils. These findings suggest that in severe cases of pterygium histopathologically exists precancerosis. In conclusion, on the basis of these histopathological findings, especially in the Tenon capsule, we suggest that for surgical procedure of pterygium the excision of the Tenon capsule, extensively under pterygium, is necessary.     

Application of novel lossless compression of medical images using prediction and contextual error modeling

Conduction of tele-3D-computer assisted operations as well as other telemedicine procedures often requires highest possible quality of transmitted medical images and video. Unfortunately, those data types are always associated with high telecommunication and storage costs that sometimes prevent more frequent usage of such procedures. We present a novel algorithm for lossless compression of medical images that is extremely helpful in reducing the telecommunication and storage costs. The algorithm models the image properties around the current, unknown pixel and adjusts itself to the local image region. The main contribution of this work is the enhancement of the well known approach of predictor blends through highly adaptive determination of blending context on a pixel-by-pixel basis using classification technique. We show that this approach is well suited for medical image data compression. Results obtained with the proposed compression method on medical images are very encouraging, beating several well known lossless compression methods. The predictor proposed can also be used in other image processing applications such as segmentation and extraction of image regions.