A focus on fixation

Three fixation issues related to immunostaining are discussed here: 1) Generally, a tissue block is fixed, then embedded and sectioned (pre-fixation). The type of fixative applied, crosslinking or coagulating, has an impact on selecting an epitope retrieval method. Individual antigens have a fixation–retrieval characteristic. 2) A long fixation time, especially with crosslinking fixatives, may compromise the result of immunostaining. This negative effect varies among different antigens and can be partially restored by applying a more sensitive/efficient detection system such as tyramide amplification. 3) Sections cut from a fresh frozen tissue block usually are acetone fixed (post-fixation). This was accepted as the “gold standard” for a long time. Post-fixation, however, may have serious consequences for preservation of small peptides leaking from the cut open cells, whereas this is not the case with pre-fixed intact cells. Consequently, the concept of an acetone post-fixed cryostat tissue section as “gold standard” no longer exists and a more appropriate use of the terms immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry therefore seems justified. For many antibodies, it is not known whether a formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue specimen is appropriate. Suggestions are made for creating a positive control cell block for testing such antibodies.     

Versatile Solid Supports for Oligonucleotide Synthesis that Incorporate Urea Bridge

The universal solid support, USIII, representing a new and improved version of commercial USII, as well as 2 ′-deoxynucleoside and 2 ′-deoxy-2 ′-fluoronucleoside bound supports, incorporating a labile phenoxyacetyl fragment, was synthesized by an aminomethyl polystyrene carbamoylation with corresponding azides in the presence of aqueous triethylammonium bicarbonate. All three solid phases incorporate a stable urea tether, thus bridging the polymer and functional linker. These new matrices proved to be potent solid phases for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, or modified oligonucleotides as well as randomized mixed 2 ′-ribo/2 ′-deoxy-2 ′-fluoro-RNA libraries and/or DNA libraries, randomized with trinucleotides (codons).     

Switching from usual brand cigarettes to a tobacco-heating cigarette or snus: Part 2. Biomarkers of exposure

Abstract

A randomized, multi-center study of adult cigarette smokers switched to tobacco-heating cigarettes, snus or ultra-low machine yield tobacco-burning cigarettes (50/group) was conducted, and subjects’ experience with the products was followed for 24 weeks. Differences in biomarkers of tobacco exposure between smokers and never smokers at baseline and among groups relative to each other and over time were assessed. Results indicated reduced exposure to many potentially harmful constituents found in cigarette smoke following product switching. Findings support differences in exposure from the use of various tobacco products and are relevant to the understanding of a risk continuum among tobacco products.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02061917.     

A design criterion for symmetric model discrimination based on flexible nominal sets

Experimental design applications for discriminating between models have been hampered by the assumption to know beforehand which model is the true one, which is counter to the very aim of the experiment. Previous approaches to alleviate this requirement were either symmetrizations of asymmetric techniques, or Bayesian, minimax, and sequential approaches. Here we present a genuinely symmetric criterion based on a linearized distance between mean-value surfaces and the newly introduced tool of flexible nominal sets. We demonstrate the computational efficiency of the approach using the proposed criterion and provide a Monte-Carlo evaluation of its discrimination performance on the basis of the likelihood ratio. An application for a pair of competing models in enzyme kinetics is given.     

Asp residues of the Glu-Glu-Asp-Asp pore filter contribute to ion permeation and selectivity of the Cav3.2 T-type channel

Voltage-activated Ca²⁺ channels are membrane protein machinery performing selective permeation of external calcium ions. The main Ca²⁺ selective filters of all high-voltage-activated Ca²⁺ channel isoforms are commonly composed of four Glu residues (EEEE), while those of low-voltage-activated T-type Ca²⁺ channel isoforms are made up of two Glu and two Asp residues (EEDD). We here investigate how the Asp residues at the pore loops of domains III and IV affect biophysical properties of the Ca_v3.2 channel. Electrophysiological characterization of the pore mutant channels in which the pore Asp residue(s) were replaced with Glu, showed that both Asp residues critically control the biophysical properties of Ca_v3.2, including relative permeability between Ba²⁺ and Ca²⁺, anomalous mole fraction effect (AMFE), voltage dependency of channel activation, Cd²⁺ blocking sensitivity, and pH effects, in distinctive ways.     

混合应用罗哌卡因、氯胺酮在新生儿骶管阻滞中的作用

目的:探明罗哌卡因、氯胺酮混合液在新生儿骶管阻滞术后镇痛的疗效和不良反应.方法:选取45例即将行骶管阻滞的新生儿,随机分成A、B、C三组,每组15人,其中A组患者行罗哌卡因骶管阻滞,B组患者行罗哌卡因骶管阻滞并氯胺酮皮下注射,C组患者行罗哌卡因、氯胺酮混合液骶管阻滞.术后于1、2、4、6、8、12、24h分别记录各患者的镇痛情况以及镇痛时间,采用FLACC法评价镇痛效果,以评分＜4分的维持时间作为有效镇痛时间.并且观察术后48h内不良反应的发生情况.结果:A组与B组之间比较镇痛时间以及术后不同时间点不需要镇痛的患者例数,发现两组间并没有较大差别(P＞0.05).相比较于A、B两组,C组患者阵痛时间明显延长,并且术后4、6、8、12、24h患者不需要镇痛明显增多(P＜0.05).而在不良反应方面,三组患者均未表现出过强的不良反应.结论:罗哌卡因、氯胺酮混合液用于新生儿骶管阻滞效果较佳,且不良反应少.     

双侧股神经阻滞用于双膝关节置换术患者的麻醉效果和对血清炎性因子水平的影响

目的:研究双侧股神经阻滞术用于双膝关节置换术患者麻醉效果和对患者血清炎性因子水平的影响。方法:选择2015年10月～2018年10月在我院进行双膝关节置换术的110例患者,按照其入院顺序经随机数字表法分为两组,每组55例。对照组采用全身麻醉,研究组采用双侧股神经阻滞联合全身麻醉。比较两组的麻醉情况,治疗前后血清炎性因子白介素6(IL-6)、C反应蛋白(CRP)、舒张压(DBP)、收缩压(SBP)、心率(HR)水平的变化。结果:两组麻醉时间比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05);研究组拔管、恢复室停留和苏醒时间均显著短于对照组(P0.05)。两组术后24 h、48 h血清炎性因子IL-6、CRP水平均高于术前,但研究组以上指标均显著低于对照组(P0.05);两组术中DBP、SBP、HR水平均较术前显著降低(P0.05),但研究组DBP、SBP、HR水平均显著高于对照组(P0.05),两组术后DBP、SBP、HR水平比较差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:与单纯采用全身麻醉相比,双侧股神经阻滞可有效改善双膝关节置换术患者的麻醉效果,并降低其血清炎症因子和稳定其血流动力学。     

Effects of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors on serum uric acid in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review with an indirect comparison meta-analysis

To describe the effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on serum uric acid (SUA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched for randomized controlled trials of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with T2DM up to Aug 10, 2017, without language or date restrictions. Thirty-one studies totaling 13,650 patients were included. SGLT2 inhibitors significantly decreased SUA levels compared with placebo, canagliflozin WMD –37.02?μmol/L, 95% CI [–38.41, –35.63], dapagliflozin WMD –38.05?μmol/L, 95% CI [–44.47, –31.62], empagliflozin WMD –42.07?μmol/L, 95% CI [–46.27, –37.86]. The drug class effect of SUA reduction suggesting SGLT2 inhibitors might be beneficial for diabetic patients with hyperuricemia.