Wolfeherman9903

The identification of metabolomic biomarkers predictive of cancer patient response to therapy and of disease stage has been pursued as a "holy grail" of modern oncology, relying on the metabolic dysfunction that characterizes cancer progression. In spite of the evaluation of many candidate biomarkers, however, determination of a consistent set with practical clinical utility has proven elusive.

In this study, we systematically examine the combined role of data pre-treatment and imputation methods on the performance of multivariate data analysis methods and their identification of potential biomarkers.

Uniquely, we are able to systematically evaluate both unsupervised and supervised methods with a metabolomic data set obtained from patient-derived lung cancer core biopsies with true missing values. Eight pre-treatment methods, ten imputation methods, and two data analysis methods were applied in combination.

The combined choice of pre-treatment and imputation methods is critical in the definition of candidate biomarkers, with deficient or inappropriate selection of these methods leading to inconsistent results, and with important biomarkers either being overlooked or reported as a false positive. The log transformation appeared to normalize the original tumor data most effectively, but the performance of the imputation applied after the transformation was highly dependent on the characteristics of the data set.

The combined choice of pre-treatment and imputation methods mayneed careful evaluation prior to metabolomic data analysis of human tumors, in order to enable consistent identification of potential biomarkers predictive of response to therapy and of disease stage.

The combined choice of pre-treatment and imputation methods may need careful evaluation prior to metabolomic data analysis of human tumors, in order to enable consistent identification of potential biomarkers predictive of response to therapy and of disease stage.

Reported outcome after multiple staged surgical treatment of infected nonunion is scarce. We, therefore, asked (1) What is the clinical outcome in infected nonunion patients after multiple staged revision surgery? (2) Are different pathogens evidenced after surgical treatment in patients who have undergone more or less surgeries?

All enrolled patients were surgically treated for long bone-infected nonunion between January 2010 and March 2018. Besides patients´ demographics outcome in terms of bony consolidation and major complications defined as death during inward treatment, amputation and recurrence of infection during follow-up of at least 12months were assessed. Microbiological findings were assessed and compared between two groups with less than five versus five or more surgical revisions.

Bone consolidation was achieved in 86% of the patients while complications such as femoral or transtibial amputation, recurrence of infection or even death during inpatient treatment could be evidenced in six patients (14%). In patients who underwent multiple-stage surgery for five or more times, germ changes and repeated germ detection was more common than in patients with less surgeries.

Surgical treatment of infected nonunions poses a high burden on the patients with major complications occurring in about 14% of the patients using a multiple staged treatment concept. Future prospective studies comparing outcomes after limited with multiple staged revision surgeries are necessary.

Surgical treatment of infected nonunions poses a high burden on the patients with major complications occurring in about 14% of the patients using a multiple staged treatment concept. Future prospective studies comparing outcomes after limited with multiple staged revision surgeries are necessary.The aim of this review is to summarise the current concepts in the management of acetabular fractures in the elderly population. A literature review of the evidence regarding the management of elderly acetabular fractures was performed utilising PubMed and Ovid. The predominant causes and fracture patterns of acetabular fractures are changing as populations age. Consequently, the operative management has had to change also. Judet and LeTournel did not offer operative treatment to any patients older than sixty. However, in the present time, according to the German Pelvic Registry, over half the patients aged sixty or over, sustaining acetabular fractures underwent operative fixation. We find that the increasing age of the population raises particular challenges for the operating surgeon. Postoperative rehabilitation should be focused on early mobilisation. More research needs to be focussed on standardised treatment protocols and long-term outcomes for this cohort of patients.Soil and mine tailings are unreceptive to plant growth representing an imminent threat to the environment and resource sustainability. Using indigenous plants and their associated rhizobacteria to restore mining sites would be an eco-friendly solution to mitigate soil-metal toxicity. Soil prospection from Draa Sfar and Kettara mining sites in Morocco was carried out during different seasons for native plant sampling and rhizobacteria screening. The sites have been colonized by fifteen tolerant plant species having different capacities to accumulate Cu, Zn, and P in their shoots/root systems. In Draa Sfar mine, Suaeda vera J.F. Gmel., Sarcocornia fruticosa (L.) A.J. Scott., and Frankenia corymbosa Desf. accumulated mainly Cu (more than 90 mg kg-1), Atriplex halimus L. accumulated Zn (mg kg-1), and Frankenia corymbosa Desf. accumulated Pb (14 mg kg-1). As for Kettara mine, Aizoon canariense L. mainly accumulated Zn (270 mg kg-1), whereas Forsskalea tenacissima L. was the best shoot Cu accumulator with up to 50 mg kg-1, whereas Cu accumulation in roots was 21 mg kg-1. The bacterial screening revealed the strains' abilities to tolerate heavy metals up to 50 mg kg-1 Cu, 250 mg kg-1 Pb, and 150 mg kg-1 Zn. Isolated strains belonged mainly to Bacillaceae (73.33%) and Pseudomonadaceae (10%) and expressed different plant growth-promoting traits, alongside their antifungal activity. Results from this study will provide an insight into the ability of native plants and their associated rhizobacteria to serve as a basis for remediation-restoration strategies.

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the cervical sagittal parameters between patients with cervical spine disorder and asymptomatic controls.

Two independent authors systematically searched online databases including Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane library, and Web of Science up to June 2020. Cervical sagittal balance parameters, such as T1 slope, cervical SVA (cSVA), and spine cranial angle (SCA), were compared between the cervical spine in healthy, symptomatic, and pre-operative participants. ICG-001 analog Where possible, we pooled data using random-effects meta-analysis, by CMA software. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using the I-squared statistic and funnel plots, respectively.

A total of 102 studies, comprising 13,802 cases (52.7% female), were included in this meta-analysis. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) to evaluate the quality of studies included in this review. Funnel plot and Begg's test did not indicate obvious publication bias. The pooled analysis reveals that the mean (SD) values were T1 slope (degree), 24.5 (0.98), 25.7 (0.99), 25.4 (0.34); cSVA (mm), 18.7 (1.76), 22.7 (0.66), 22.4 (0.68) for healthy population, symptomatic, and pre-operative assessment, respectively. The mean value of the SCA (degree) was 79.5 (3.55) and 75.6 (10.3) for healthy and symptomatic groups, respectively. Statistical differences were observed between the groups (all P values < 0.001).

The findings showed that the T1 slope and the cSVA were significantly lower among patients with cervical spine disorder compared to controls and higher for the SCA. Further well-conducted studies are needed to complement our findings.

The findings showed that the T1 slope and the cSVA were significantly lower among patients with cervical spine disorder compared to controls and higher for the SCA. Further well-conducted studies are needed to complement our findings.This study investigated the occurrence and seasonal variation in concentrations of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in shallow groundwater underlying two peri-urban areas of Bwaise (highly urbanised) and Wobulenzi (moderately urbanised) in Uganda. Twenty-six antibiotics, 20 hydrocarbons, including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 59 pesticides were investigated. Ampicillin and benzylpenicillin were the most frequently detected antibiotics in both areas, although at low concentrations to cause direct harm to human health, but could lead to a proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes. The most frequently detected hydrocarbons in Bwaise were naphthalene and xylene while anthracene and fluoranthene were the most frequent in Wobulenzi, also at low concentrations for ecological impact at long-term exposure. Molecular diagnostic ratios indicated pyrogenic and pyrolytic sources of PAHs in both areas. Cypermethrin (for vermin control) was the most frequent pesticide in Bwaise while metalaxyl (attributed to agriculture) was the most frequent in Wobulenzi. Banned organochlorines (8) were also detected in both areas in low concentrations. The pesticide concentrations between the two areas significantly differed (Z = - 3.558; p  less then  0.01), attributed to contrasting land-use characteristics. In Wobulenzi (wet season), the total pesticide concentrations at all the locations exceeded the European Community parametric guideline value while 75% of the detected compounds exceeded the individual pesticide guideline value. Thus, the antibiotic and pesticide residues in shallow groundwater underlying both Bwaise and Wobulenzi pose potential adverse ecological effects at long-term exposure. Monitoring of EOCs in both highly and moderately urbanised catchments should be strengthened towards mitigating associated risks.

The term high density lipoproteins (HDL) refers to an eclectic collection of subparticles that play diverse roles in physiology. Here, we define the term "HDL subspecies" and review recent work on their molecular characterization and relation to disease, focusing on cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The HDL family contains over 200 proteins and nearly 200 lipids that partition into different particles in plasma. Simple subfractionation of HDL based on a particular physicochemical property has not risen to the challenge of revealing the roles of specific particles in disease. However, by targeting minor protein or lipid components, a handful of compositionally defined HDL subspecies have been described and characterized. By combining targeted particle isolation techniques with the power of large human studies, progress is being made in understanding HDL subspecies functions and implications for disease. However, much work remains before these advancements can be translated into disease mitigation strategies.

The HDL family contains over 200 proteins and nearly 200 lipids that partition into different particles in plasma. Simple subfractionation of HDL based on a particular physicochemical property has not risen to the challenge of revealing the roles of specific particles in disease. However, by targeting minor protein or lipid components, a handful of compositionally defined HDL subspecies have been described and characterized. By combining targeted particle isolation techniques with the power of large human studies, progress is being made in understanding HDL subspecies functions and implications for disease. However, much work remains before these advancements can be translated into disease mitigation strategies.