Sugarcane straw has become an available lignocellulosic biomass since the progressive introduction of the non-burning harvest in Brazil. Besides keeping this biomass in the field, it can be used as a feedstock in thermochemical or biochemical conversion processes. This makes feasible its incorporation in a biorefinery, whose economic profitability could be supported by integrated production of low-value biofuels and high-value chemicals, e.g., xylitol, which has important industrial and clinical applications. Herein, biotechnological production of xylitol is presented as a possible route for the valorization of sugarcane straw and its incorporation in a biorefinery. Nutritional supplementation of the sugarcane straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate as a function of initial oxygen availability was studied in batch fermentation of Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037. The nutritional supplementation conditions evaluated were: no supplementation; supplementation with (NH4)2SO4, and full supplementation with (NH4)2SO4, rice bran extract and CaCl2·2H2O. Experiments were performed at pH 5.5, 30°C, 200rpm, for 48h in 125mL Erlenmeyer flasks containing either 25 or 50mL of medium in order to vary initial oxygen availability. Without supplementation, complete consumption of glucose and partial consumption of xylose were observed. In this condition the maximum xylitol yield (0.67gg(-1)) was obtained under reduced initial oxygen availability. Nutritional supplementation increased xylose consumption and xylitol production by up to 200% and 240%, respectively. The maximum xylitol volumetric productivity (0.34gL(-1)h(-1)) was reached at full supplementation and increased initial oxygen availability. The results demonstrated a combined effect of nutritional supplementation and initial oxygen availability on xylitol production from sugarcane straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the prevalent type of malignancy among women. Multiple risk factors, including genetic changes, biological age, dense breast tissue, and obesity are associated with BC. The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway has a pivotal role in regulating biological functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and survival. It has become evident that the MAPK pathway is associated with tumorigenesis and may promote breast cancer development. The MAPK/RAS/RAF cascade is closely associated with breast cancer. RAS signaling can enhance BC cell growth and progression. B-Raf is an important kinase and a potent RAF isoform involved in breast tumor initiation and differentiation. Depending on the reasons for cancer, there are different strategies for treatment of women with BC. Till now, several FDA-approved treatments have been investigated that inhibit the MAPK pathway and reduce metastatic progression in breast cancer. The most common breast cancer drugs that regulate or inhibit the MAPK pathway may include Farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs), Sorafenib, Vemurafenib, PLX8394, Dabrafenib, Ulixertinib, Simvastatin, Alisertib, and Teriflunomide. In this review, we will discuss the roles of the MAPK/RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in BC and summarize the FDA-approved prescription drugs that target the MAPK signaling pathway in women with BC.

Keywords: Breast cancer; FDA-approved drugs; MAPK pathway; MEK/ERK; RAS/RAF.

Tricuspid regurgitation, a common tricuspid lesion, consists of organic and functional tricuspid insufficiency (FTI). FTI is usually secondary to the valvular heart disease in left atrium. Pulmonary hypertension may result in right ventricular and tricuspid annular enlargement. This report documents our findings of tricuspid valve surgery under cardiac arrest with telescopic assistance. A 65-year-old female patient referred to our department received thoracoscope-associated tricuspid valvuloplasty. The patient exhibited a history of intermittent dyspnea and shortness of breath for 20 years, together with edema in the lower limbs for 3 months. A small incision was made, prior to an additional incision of about 3 cm in length before localization was performed at the lateral side of the 4th midclavicular line. The satellite hole was localized at the 5th midaxillary line. The operation was completed under cardiopulmonary bypass with a beating heart. Echocardiogram (ECG) analysis 10 days post-surgery indicated no clinically significant findings. Finally, the patient was discharged with slight tricuspid regurgitation .Thoracoscopy-associated heart surgery reduces postoperative pain and shortens postoperative recovery time. It is in line with the concept of rapid recovery and beauty needs. Our data confirmed that thoracoscope-assisted tricuspid valvuloplasty in an unarrested state was effective for the treatment of patients with tricuspid insufficiency, secondary to post-cardiac surgery.

Keywords: Thoracoscope; case report; tricuspid; unarrested; valvuloplasty.

Valvuloplasty with preservation of the valvular apparatus is the treatment of choice in functional tricuspid incompetence (FTI). A new method of valvuloplasty has been developed using a flexible linear reducer (FLR); its insertion is simple and without risk to the Bundle of His. It is made of sections of elastomere covering a dacron core. The principle of the FLR is reduction of the tricuspid annulus leaving the septal leaflet free. It is a simple method which allows individual variations in the zone reduced (usually involving the anterior and inferior leaflets) and in the size of the reduction at each point. The excellent results at medium term in 20 patients with tricuspid FLR lead us to recommend widening the surgical indications for correction of FTI especially in cases where signs of right ventricular failure have been observed.

A method was proposed to precisely reconstruct the spectrum from the interferogram taken by the Fourier transform imaging spectrometer (FTIS) based on the polarization beam splitters. Taken the FTISs based on the Savart polariscope and Wollaston prism as examples, the distorted spectrums were corrected via the proposed method effectively. The feasibility of the method was verified via simulation. The distorted spectrum, recovered from the interferogram taken by the polarization imaging spectrometer developed by us, was corrected.

The Fourier transform imaging spectrometer (FTIS) is an important tool for the measurement of spectral information in a scene. Advances in electro-optic crystal systems have led to the advent of the FTIS based on polarization interference filters. The operation of these devices as spectrometers has been well characterized, but the imaging capabilities have yet to be thoroughly explored. We explore the field-of-view limitations that occur when using this particular type of FTIS.

In the bearing health assessment issues, using the adaptive nonstationary vibration signal processing methods in the time-frequency domain, lead to improving of early fault detection. On the other hand, the noise and random impulses which contaminates the input data, are a major challenge in extracting fault-related features. The main goal of this paper is to improve the Ensemble Empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) algorithm and combine it with a new proposed denoising process and the higher order spectra to increase the accuracy and speed of the fault severity and type detection. The main approach is to use statistical features without using any dimension reduction and data training. To eliminate unrelated components from faulty condition, the best combination of denoising parameters based on the wavelet transform, is determined by a proposed performance index. In order to enhance the efficiency of the EEMD algorithm, a systematic method is presented to determine the proper amplitude of the additive noise and the Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) selection scheme. The fault occurrence detection and the fault severity level identification are performed by the Fault Severity Index (FSI) definition based on the energy level of the Combined Fault-Sensitive IMF (CFSIMF) envelope using the central limit theorem. Also, taking the advantages of a bispectrum analysis of CFSIMF envelope, fault type recognition can be achieved by Fault Type Index (FTI) quantification. Finally, the proposed method is validated using experimental data set from two different test rigs. Also, the role of the optimum denoising process and the algorithm of systematic selection of the EEMD parameters are described regardless of its type and estimating the consistent degradation pattern.

Fizeau Fourier transform imaging spectroscopy (FTIS) is a technique for collecting both spatial and spectral information about an object with a Fizeau imaging interferometer and postprocessing. The technique possesses unconventional imaging properties due to the fact that the system transfer functions, including the imaging and spectral postprocessing operations, are given by cross correlations between subapertures of the optical system, in comparison with the conventional optical transfer function, which is given by the autocorrelation of the entire aperture of the system. The unconventional imaging properties of Fizeau FTIS can be exploited to form spatially dealiased spectral images from undersampled intensity measurements (obtain superresolution relative to the detector pixel spacing). We demonstrate this dealiasing technique through computer simulations and discuss the associated design and operational trade-offs.

Ras proteins play an important role in the development of cancer. Farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs) block the first obligatory post-translational step for activation, prenylation, of Ras proteins. To find new potent FTIs, rapid enzyme activity assays are required to reduce FTI development time. Most assays to date are based on radioactive labelled substrates. We developed a new, in vitro, farnesyl transferase assay based on gradient chromatography coupled to UV detection. Unfarnesylated and farnesylated H-Ras proteins were resolved on a C18 wide-pore HPLC column and their concentrations were determined with use of a calibration curve of unfarnesylated H-Ras. The assay was used to investigate inhibition characteristics of FTIs. The IC50 values of the FTIs L778,123 and SCH66336 were 4.2 nm and 78 microm, respectively. This assay could support the screening and development of FTIs to obtain rapid insights into their inhibitory properties.

We have examined the applicability of peroperative image documentation, in promoting early mobilization after osteosynthesis and saving the standard X-ray examination. One hundred and twenty-three patients with proximal femoral fractures were included in the investigation. Hard-copy reprints were recorded from peroperative fluoroscopy images by Fuji Film Thermal Imaging System FTI 200. These reprints were compared with the standard X-rays to assess the quality of the osteosynthesis and possible restriction in mobilization. The specificity of finding an unstable osteosynthesis was 0.40, whereas the sensitivity of finding a stable osteosynthesis was 0.96. In all, four unstable osteosyntheses were overlooked on the hard copy reprints. The specificity of finding patients in need of restricted mobilization was 0.44 and the sensitivity of finding patients allowed free mobilization was 0.93. Eight patients needing restricted mobilization were overlooked on the reprints. Hard-copy images do not safely reveal unstable osteosynthesis and cannot replace the standard X-rays taken postoperatively.

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation results in creation of acute edema which can lead to temporary disruption of electrical propagation.The goal of this study was to find the effective contact force (CF) to minimize edema formation in comparison to the lesion size.Ventricular RF lesions (n = 49) were created by a CF-sensing catheter in a canine model (n = 10) with varying force for 30 seconds. Animals underwent T2-weighted (T2w) and late gadolinium enhancement MRI (LGE-MRI) immediately after ablation and at 12 weeks. Acute LGE lesion volume, acute edema, and chronic LGE lesion volume were measured. Acute edema/acute LGE lesion volume ratio was used to divide the lesions into two groups.Mean edema/lesion volume ratio was 5.0 ± 2.8. The lesions were divided into greater edema group (n = 8) and smaller edema group (n = 41) based on a cutoff edema/lesion volume ratio. When comparing the two groups, the CF and force time integral (FTI) were significantly lower in the greater edema group. There was no difference in catheter power setting, tip temperature change, impedance drop, and bipolar electrogram voltage change. Acute LGE volume and chronic lesion depth were significantly smaller in the greater edema group. Moreover, receiver-operator characteristic curve for the smaller edema lesion group showed that the most discriminant cutoff values for CF and FTI were 12.4 g and 584 gs, respectively.To minimize edema size while still forming permanent lesions, ablation should be performed with FTI > 584 gs or CF > 12.4 g.

Background: Previous studies have indicated that inflammation plays an important role in the occurrence and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD); however, there were rare researches about the changes of neutrophils and their influence on the prognosis of BPD. Hence, we aimed to explore the changes in the number of peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs), and the relationship between these changes and susceptibility to pulmonary infection among children with BPD.

Methods: Firstly, the gene expression of lung tissues and the number of PBNs were respectively detected by RNA sequencing and complete blood count in the 85% O₂-induced BPD model rats. Then it was analyzed the number of PBNs after birth and the incidence of pneumonia within 6 months of corrected age (CA) after discharge among full-term infants (FTIs: gestational age [GA] between 37^0/7 and 41^6/7 weeks, n = 88), preterm infants with (PTIs-BPD: GA <32 weeks, n = 35) or without BPD (PTIs-nBPD: GA <32 weeks, n = 41).

Results: The levels of S100A8 and S100A9 mRNAs were significantly decreased in the lungs of BPD rats. Moreover, the number of PBNs was also decreased in BPD rats. The number of PBNs at birth in FTIs was significantly greater than that in PTIs-BPD or in PTIs-nBPD (p < 0.001), while those between PTIs-BPD and PTIs-nBPD showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). Although the peripheral blood neutrophils decreased overall after birth in both PTIs-nBPD and PTIs-BPD groups, only the reduction in the PTIs-BPD group was significant (p < 0.001). Importantly, at 36-37 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA), the number of PBNs in PTIs-BPD was significantly fewer than that in PTIs-nBPD (p < 0.001). In addition, PTIs-BPD had a significantly higher incidence of pneumonia than PTIs-nBPD within 6 months of CA after discharge (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: The number of PBNs in PTIs-BPD decreased progressively when compared to that in PTIs-nBPD, which might contribute to their susceptibility to pulmonary infection.

Keywords: bronchopulmonary dysplasia; hyperoxia; neutrophil; pneumonia; preterm infant.

Our objective was to comprehensively test the composition, morphology, and structure of enlarged prostatic utricle (EPU) stones, which, as a kind of biolite in abnormal anatomical structures of the genitourinary system, have not yet been reported. Thirty-one EPU stones coming from 8 patients, who had been treated in our center from 1985 to 2009, were taken out by transurethral fenestration of EPU and were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and Fourier transformation infrared spectral (FTIS) analysis. Under scanning electron microscope, all these EPU calculi were seen to be constituted of many intensive minicrystals and amorphous matrix. By XRD and FTIS analysis, we determined that the 31 EPU stones in our research were all hydroxyapatite crystal. We consider that EPU calculi should belong to the category of prostatic pseudocalculi and that the formation of EPU calculi is not caused by the abnormal change of urine composition, but should be ascribed to continuously concentrated EPU liquid by absorption of capsule walls and calculous matrix mainly coming from deciduous epithelial cells of EPUs. The role of the amorphous matrix is to link microcrystals, which promotes the growth of EPU stones.

We theoretically investigated frustrated tunneling ionization (FTI) in the interaction of atoms with elliptically polarized laser pulses by a semiclassical ensemble model. Our results show that the yield of frustrated tunneling ionization events exhibits an anomalous behavior which maximizes at the nonzero ellipticity. By tracing back the initial tunneling coordinates, we show that this anomalous behavior is due to the fact that the initial transverse velocity at tunneling of the FTI events is nonzero in the linear laser pulses and it moves across zero as the ellipticity increases. The FTI yield maximizes at the ellipticity when the initial transverse momentum for being trapped is zero. Moreover, the angular momentum distribution of the FTI events and its ellipticity dependence are also explored. The anomalous behavior revealed in our work is very similar to the previously observed ellipticity dependence of the near- and below-threshold harmonics, and thus our work may uncover the mechanism of the below-threshold harmonics which is still a controversial issue.

Time-periodic external drives have emerged as a powerful tool to artificially create topological phases of matter. Prime examples are Floquet topological insulators (FTIs), where a gapped bulk supports in-gap edge states, protected against symmetry-preserving local perturbations. Similar to an ordinary static topological insulator, the robustness of an edge state in a one-dimensional (1D) FTI shows up as a pinning of its quasienergy level, but now inside one of two distinct bulk gaps. Here we propose a scheme for probing this unique feature by observing transport characteristics of a 1D finite-sized FTI attached to external leads. We present predictions for transmission spectra using a nonequilibrium Green's function approach. Our analysis covers FTIs with time-independent and periodically driven boundary perturbations which either preserve or break the protecting chiral symmetry.

Fourier transform imaging spectroscopy (FTIS) can be performed with a multi-aperture optical system by making a series of intensity measurements, while introducing optical path differences (OPD's) between various subapertures, and recovering spectral data by the standard Fourier post-processing technique. The imaging properties for multi-aperture FTIS are investigated by examining the imaging transfer functions for the recovered spectral images. For systems with physically separated subapertures, the imaging transfer functions are shown to vanish necessarily at the DC spatial frequency. Also, it is shown that the spatial frequency coverage of particular systems may be improved substantially by simultaneously introducing multiple OPD's during the measurements, at the expense of limiting spectral coverage and causing the spectral resolution to vary with spatial frequency.

OBJECTIVE

To examine baseline thyroid hormones in a large group of well-characterized pre- and early-pubertal boys and girls who met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) and a comparison group of normal children without psychiatric disorders.

METHODS

45 children with MDD (10.6 years +/- 1.4 year) and 56 healthy controls (10.0 +/- 1.7 year) who participated in a large, psychobiologic protocol are included in this report. As part of the screening for eligibility, baseline samples were drawn for thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) uptake, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Free thyroxine index (FTI) also was computed.

RESULTS

Between-group analyses were carried out controlling for various demographic variables significantly related to thyroid hormones [e.g. age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and their interactions]. For many hormones there were significant effects for age and gender. For T4, MDD boys had lower T4 compared with boys in the normal group. No differences were noted between MDD girls and normal girls. For TSH, MDD boys had lower concentrations compared with normal boys while no differences were noted in girls. For T3 uptake, the MDD group had lower uptake compared with the normal group. For FTI, there were no group differences. Similar to most studies of adults with depression, all our subjects were euthyroid. Unlike the adult studies, we found lower T4 concentrations in the MDD group rather than higher. Group differences in thyroid hormones were noted primarily in boys. The large sample size of this study allowed for the control of multiple variables, which has not been done in past studies. Without such controls, true findings may be masked in other studies of depression. Thus, our findings suggest the possibility of developmental differences in the relation of thyroid hormone and depression.

INTRODUCTION:: Reviewing the management of calcaneus fractures, conservative and operative treatment are known without a generally accepted, well proven therapeutical strategy or tactics compared to other types of fractures. The purpose of this study is to define the parameters of the differences between the fractured calcaneus and the intact one, as well as the two types of treatments using the gait analysis method. MATERIALS AND METHODS:: Retrospective clinical investigation and gait analysis have been performed on 217 patients with calcaneus fractures. An analysis of the X-rays was also included. The Novel 101 B pedobarography analyser with platform 102H (4 sensor/cm(2)) was used for pressure distribution analysis. The region of the foot was divided into four masks, Mask 1 (M1) the area of the heel, Mask 2 (M2), the mid-foot, Mask 3 (M3), metatarsal region, and Mask 4 (M4) the region of the toes. The total area of the foot (TOT) included all four masks. Eighteen bilateral fractured calcanei have been omitted from the evaluation, owing to the lack of control foot, and 28 patients were excluded for the other complications of the fractures foot, complications of the control foot or complications extending to both feet. The data on the 171 fractures (68 patients treated conservatively and 103 patients treated operatively) of the calcaneus were compared with their control feet. The average age was 52.0 years (+/- 2.7) and the average follow up time was 49.9 months (+/- 17.5). The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows. Examination of correlation, repeated measurement analysis of variance, ANOVA, and multiple comparisons were performed by Bonferoni. Linear discriminating analysis was also performed. Significance level was defined as p<0.05 in each case. RESULTS:: All investigated parameters (area, max.F, max.P, absolute and relative contact time, FTI, PTI.) of M2 were significantly higher on the fractured side than on the intact one. The investigation of the whole foot showed significant increase concerning the area, and significant decrease in the max. force, FTI and PTI values. The differences between the conservatively treated and the intact foot values, as well as the differences between operatively treated foot and the intact one, demonstrated a significant decrease in the FTI TOT and the PTI TOT in both groups. A significantly higher difference was also demonstrated when the difference in the value of PTI TOT in the operative group was compared to the conservative one. Therefore, the values of the fractured side of the operative group were significantly lower than the values of the intact one, but significantly higher than the values of the conservative group. CONCLUSIONS:: The gait analysis parameters for the calcaneus fractured and the intact sides allowed for separation of the data according to significant differences. The results of the gait analysis comparing the conservative and operative method of the treatment showed that the surgical method was the better choice.

Amiodarone (2-n-butyl-3,4-diethylaminoethoxy-3',-diiodobenzoyl-benzofurone ) is a drug widely used for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Due to its high iodine content and structural similarity to thyroxine it produces abnormalities in thyroid hormone metabolism and, in some cases, clinical thyroid dysfunction as well. We report 18 patients, 11 females and 7 males, whose thyroid disease developed during treatment with amiodarone (A). Age ranged from 13 to 64 years. A history of thyroid disease in a first-degree relative was present in five, and three patients had goiter prior to A therapy. Fifteen patients had atrial arrhythmias, and 3 had ventricular arrhythmias. Amiodarone was being given in doses of 200 to 800 mg daily. Thyroid function abnormalities appeared between 1 and 29 months after starting A therapy. Nine patients became clinically and chemically thyrotoxic; three patients developed diffuse thyroid enlargement and had total T4 concentration and FI4I increased with normal T3 and no signs of hyperthyroidism; and the six remaining patients became clinically hypothyroid with low values of total T4 and FTI and raised basal TSH. No relationship between dosages of A or duration of treatment and the appearance or severity of thyroid dysfunction was found. Regression of symptoms occurred in all but two patients with simple goiter between 1 and 8 months after amiodarone was discontinued and appropriate treatment was given. Our observations confirm the potential of A to induce thyroid abnormalities in patients with and without preexistent thyroid disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Thyroid function abnormalities have been associated with psychiatric illness. Even though it is a common practice to assess thyroid function in geropsychiatric patients, a literature search for the past 10 years did not reveal any published studies of assessments of thyroid function abnormalities in acute geropsychiatric populations. A retrospective chart review of 197 acute geropsychiatric inpatients and 14 comparison group patients showed that 40 geropsychiatric patients and 2 comparison group patients had abnormal thyroid function tests (TFfs). The most common abnormality was elevated triiodothyronine uptake (T3U), which was noted in 19 female and 13 male geropsychiatric patients. The difference in the prevalence of TFT abnormalities between the geropsychiatric patients and the comparison group subjects was not statistically significant. Both T3U and free thyroxine index (FTI) were significantly higher in the female geropsychiatric patients than in the female comparison group patients. The abnormalities in T3U and FTI in this study group may be related to an increased prevalence of unidentified systemic illness or to the presence of chronically poor nutrition.

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of projection reconstruction (PR) NMR microscopy in the quantitative evaluation of trabecular bone architecture. Short-TE PR spin-echo microimages were acquired at 7.05 T on normal bone explants. The main structural parameters such as bone volume fraction (BVF), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th.) and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp.) were obtained from the 3D microimages using the method of directed secants. Quantitative structural data were then compared with those derived from conventional spin-echo microimages. Our study indicates that projection reconstruction NMR microscopy promises to be more accurate than the conventional FTI method in the analysis of trabecular bone.