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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by high morbidity, high recurrence, and high mortality rates. In China, the morbidity of HCC is fifth among all malignant tumors and HCC is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Most HCC patients also have liver cirrhosis. Surgery is the sole curative method for HCC; however, many patients are diagnosed with HCC during its advanced stages so radical resection can no longer be performed. Therefore, the proportion of patients who undergo radical hepatectomy is less than 30%. Patients with mildly advanced HCC cannot undergo hepatectomy and thus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and/or biological targeted therapy are alternative options. However, data on the effects of TACE therapy or biological targeted therapy are limited. Therefore, an investigation of multimodal and individualized treatments is critical to ensure the best treatment. In June 2018, we treated an advanced HCC patient with multiple metastases and right portal vein tumor thrombus. The patient exhibited partial remission after undergoing treatment with TACE and crizotinib capsules for 1 month. The case and a literature review are reported here.

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and thyroid function have been described. Prevalence pattern and atherogenic status significantly differ from HIV-negative control in several studies. Unfortunately, few studies have determined the prevalence of thyroid function and lipids among Nigerians living with HIV. Objective: This study is to evaluate thyroid hormones and lipid profiles in HIV-positive subjects attending a faith-based health facility in Anambra State Nigeria.Materials and methods: The serum concentration of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), free Triiodothyronine (fT3), triiodothyronine (T3), free Thyroxine (fT4), Thyroxine (T4), Total Cholesterol [TC], Triglyceride [TG], High-Density Lipoprotein [HDL], Low-Density Lipoprotein [LDL] and Very Low-Density Lipoprotein [VLDL] was determined in 95 HIV positive subjects which include 48 patients who were on HAART- group 1 and 47 not on HAART- group 2; and compared to 30 HIV negative controls – group 3. Results: The level of TSH and fT3 was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in group 1 participants than in group 2 and the group 3 participants. The level of T4 was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 and group 3 participants. The level of T3 was significantly lower in Control participants in comparison to both HAART and non-HAART participants. The prevalence of fT4 dysfunction across the groups was significantly different from each other. The total mean of Cholesterol (163.5 ± 22.7), Triglyceride (163.5 ± 22.7), and Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (14.2 ± 2.4) of the HIV-positive participants were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that of the HIV negative participants.Conclusion: The results obtained from this study indicate that serum levels of thyroid hormones may be used as baseline periodic markers during antiretroviral therapy and many people living with HIV may benefit from supplementation if appropriate.

Due to the adverse environmental impacts of synthetic plastics, biodegradable plastics development for both industrial and commercial applications is essential for the present scenario. In addition to the non-degradability of petroleum-based plastic and its impacts, so it is very important to find an alternative to petroleum-based plastic. Starch-based bioplastics are an excessive substitute for petroleum-based plastics due to their significant properties compared with natural sources. This research aims to formalize five new formulas of bioplastic by combining two sources of starch, extracted from various biomass sources, its properties and comparison between them. The moisture content shows 2.07% and 0.984% for samples F and B respectively and that indicates that the samples which contain a high amount of corn starch have less moisture content. The highest results of biodegradation percentages were 68.27% and 52.6% which are for samples A and D respectively, and the lowest biodegradation percentage were 34.33% and 31.29% which are for samples F and B respectively.

Bone metastases in cancer patients are highly painful and decrease the quality of life for these group of population. Covid-19 pandemia is a global challenging issue that mostly affect the patients with immune suppression or having comorbid diseases older than 65 years old. The palliation and management of bone metastases varies from single dose to several fractionation. The main goal of this article is to decide that short or long term fit for the cancer patients with bone metastasis in the Covid-19 era. We reviewed the topic about the short course and long term radiotherapy in the patients with painful bone metastases via novel literature.

The stem rot disease has emerged globally as a major threat to oilseed Brassica's productivity and seed quality. The generalist causal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary shows large variability in their aggressiveness and pathogenicity. Revealing the pathogen's metabolic profile and signaling components in host-pathogen interaction is fundamental in understanding host resistance to the disease. In this study, the metabolites released by the pathogenic strains of S. sclerotiorum under the axenic culture have been identified using the untargeted high-resolution UPLC-QTOF-ESI-MS/MS. The analysis of the ethyl acetate extracts of the S. sclerotiorum culture revealed ten major secondary metabolites namely, sclerin, sclerotinin-B, sclerone, melanin, bostrycoidin, botcinin-D, botcinin-A, gliovirin, scleramide, and botcinic acid. The later six metabolites are being reported for the first time in the culture extract of the S. sclerotiorum pathogen. Based on the overlapping and unique informative peaks in the chromatograms, the six S. sclerotiorum strains were grouped into three major clades in the phylogenetic analysis. The clustering based on metabolic profiles does not substantiate the diversity based on morphology or virulence differences over the host. The findings of the study signified the metabolites secreted under the axenic conditions are varies based on their growth and developmental stages and may not necessarily be the determining factors for their differential aggressiveness and virulence to their host. 

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is a commonly diagnosed genitourinary infection that presents significant challenges both in diagnosis and treatment. In an upcoming era of antibiotic resistance, and limited therapeutic options it becomes imperative to revise current guidelines and to provide more effective treatment strategies. At the Eliava Phage Therapy Center (Tbilisi, Georgia) we utilize bacteriophage therapy as an alternative approach against chronic bacterial infections. Bacteriophages, viruses that target and lyse specific bacterial cells, can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with antibiotics. We present a case report of a patient with prostatitis caused by Escherichia coli infection, who prior to addressing our clinic, has been receiving antibiotic therapy without any positive effect. Our approach of combined use of antibiotics and phages was successful not only in complete clinical improvement but also in total bacterial eradication. This outcome shows the potential of bacteriophage therapy as a valuable adjunct to conventional antibacterials in the management of prostatitis.

Coronavirus infections have caused outbreaks in humans: SARS-COV ((Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) resulting in significant mortality and morbidity

The development of reproducible rodent models of coronary microvascular disease (MVD) is essential for the early detection, treatment, and mechanism study of the pathophysiology. We hypothesized that endothelial dysfunction and subsequent microthrombi in the coronary arterioles, two early events in clinical coronary MVD, could be reproduced by photochemical reaction (PCR) technology in mice hearts. After rose bengal (one of photosensitizers) was administrated systemically, a green light was locally used to activate the photosensitizer, inducing over-production of oxidative stress in the heart. Following PCR, animals demonstrated reproducible endothelial injury, occlusion in arterioles, focal ischemia, and infarct-let with preserved cardiac function. Our technique has proven to be a reliable and reproducible means of creating coronary MVD in mice. We believe that this is an ideal model for developing a novel molecular tracer for earlier detection of coronary MVD, for testing new anti-fibrinolytic drugs, and for investigating the complex pathophysiology of coronary MVD. The protocol for establishing this model takes about thirty to forty minutes.

The problem of synchronization of oscillations of various physical nature is discussed. From the standpoint of the theory of synchronism, a model of the heart is considered as a system of four connected between self-oscillating links: two atria and two ventricles. The synchronous and asynchronous operating modes are considered at sinusoidal and relaxation oscillations. A computer program has been compiled that simulates the fluctuations in the heart using four differential equations. Four examples of calculation according to the program are given for asynchronous and synchronous operation modes. The possibility of evaluating the ablation procedure from the perspective of a computer model is discussed.

Purpose: This study reports resource utilization during a Medicare Beneficiary’s (MBs) Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) index hospitalization and all subsequent encounters for 12 months and compares data between MBs who did or did not receive a pacemaker implantation (PPM) during their index hospitalization. Method: This retrospective study examined Medicare hospital claims from January 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. 15,533 MBs who survived for 365 days were studied. Information from all encounters during the study period was combined to compare hospital resource utilization and outcomes. Results: 14.8% of MBs had a PPM during the index hospitalization. 46.0% of MBs had at least one readmission to a hospital during the 365-day follow-up period. 54.6% of MB’s first hospital readmission occurred within 90 days of their TAVR discharge date. Average total Medicare reimbursement for all hospitalizations was $60,638 ± $28,974 associated with average total hospital length of stay of 11.2 ± 11.7 days. After adjusting for demographics and 47 comorbid conditions, MBs receiving a PPM during the index TAVR had significantly higher estimated Medicare reimbursement ($5,132) and longer total length of stay (1.8 days) for the entire study period than MBs not receiving a PPM. Conclusion: Total Medicare reimbursement and hospital LOS were significantly higher among MBs that had a PPM implantation during their index admission; however, there were no significant differences in readmission rates, readmission length of stay, or days to first readmission during the follow-up period between the two study cohorts.