Cancer cell membrane-coated bacterial ghosts for highly efficient paclitaxel delivery against metastatic lung cancer

Chemotherapy is one of the major approaches for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer, although it is limited by the low tumor delivery efficacy of anticancer drugs. Bacterial therapy is emerging for cancer treatment due to its high immune stimulation effect; however, excessively generated immunogenicity will cause serious inflammatory response syndrome. Here, we prepared cancer cell membrane-coated liposomal paclitaxel-loaded bacterial ghosts (LP@BG@CCM) by layer-by-layer encapsulation for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer. The preparation processes were simple, only involving film formation, electroporation, and pore extrusion. LP@BG@CCM owned much higher 4T1 cancer cell toxicity than LP@BG due to its faster fusion with cancer cells. In the 4T1 breast cancer metastatic lung cancer mouse models, the remarkably higher lung targeting of intravenously injected LP@BG@CCM was observed with the almost normalized lung appearance, the reduced lung weight, the clear lung tissue structure, and the enhanced cancer cell apoptosis compared to its precursors. Moreover, several major immune factors were improved after administration of LP@BG@CCM, including the CD4+/CD8a+ T cells in the spleen and the TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-4 in the lung. LP@BG@CCM exhibits the optimal synergistic chemo-immunotherapy, which is a promising medication for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer.

The Better Ghost: Women In White Or Men In Black

Eerie atmosphere, silence of the dark night, thunderstorm, creaking doors, dim lights, then suddenly there is a shadow from behind with intense music. Well these are some of the core ingredient of the horror movies which we have seen since our childhood, one can understand that these are the sure shot formula for setting the stage for the big reveal i.e. the ghost. Now from here our topic of discussion starts which is the portrayal of women as ghost in Hindi cinema. Whenever we watch a Hindi movie more than often we encounter a female ghost wandering around, singing sweet melodies trying to charm the male counterpart and then ultimately killing them. A question always arises in mind as why always there is a female ghost who gets the responsibility of scaring the audience. For this we need to find the answer through our very own horror movies.

Ghost ileostomy release down: our initial experience

Background: Many publications describe the advantages of the creation of ghost ileostomy (GI) to prevent the need for formal covering ileostomy in more than 80% of carcinoma rectum patients. However, none of the papers describes exactly how to ultimately remove the GI in these 80% of patients in whom it doesn't need formal maturation. Aim: To describe and evaluate the ghost ileostomy release down (GIRD) technique in terms of feasibility, complications, hospital stay, procedure time etc. in patients with low anterior resection/ultra-low anterior resection (LAR/uLAR) with GI for carcinoma rectum. Method: The present was a prospective cohort study of patients with restorative colorectal resections with GI for carcinoma rectum, Postoperatively the patients were studied with respect to ease and feasibility of the release down of GI and its complications. The data was collected, analyzed and inference drawn. Results: A total of 26 patients needed the GIRD and were included in the final statistical analysis of the study. The procedure was done between 7th to 16th postoperative days (POD) and was successful in all patients without the need of any additional surgical procedure. None of the patients required any local anesthetic injection or any extra analgesics. The average time taken for procedure was 5-minutes and none of the patients had any significant difficulty in GI release. There were no immediate postprocedure complications. Conclusion: The GIRD technique is a simple, safe, and quick procedure done around the 10th POD that can easily be performed by the bedside of patient without the need of any anesthesia or additional analgesics. (AU)

Distinguishment of XU Qiu-fu's thirteen ghost points / 中国针灸

In addition to the well-known thirteen ghost points in Qianjin Fang (Important Formulas worth a Thousand Gold Pieces), "XU Qiu-fu's thirteen ghost points" is recorded in other medical books. The contents of "XU Qiu-fu's thirteen ghost points" are not exactly same among these medical books, which mainly focus on the nomination and selection of the ghost points. Even though, there are many similarity when compared with the thirteen ghost points in Qianjin Fang in terms of acupoint selection, acupoint location and the sequence of needle insertion, as well as the therapeutic methods. The authors believe that "XU Qiu-fu's thirteen ghost points" is actually adapted based on the framework of the thirteen ghost points in Qianjin Fang.

A Serious Compromise in the Quality of Medical Education in India by Some Recently Established Private Medical Colleges.

Medical colleges have become a business industry nowadays, where rich businessmen in the name of trust and foundations are resorting to making huge profits by collecting heavy amount of capitation fees from students without providing quality education to them. It has been observed especially in some of the recently established medical colleges, that the regulations laid by National Medical Council are flouted, and these medical colleges are run with very little patients in the hospital, poor infrastructure and huge number of "Ghost faculties", who are available only during the time of inspection by the regulatory authorities. The regular faculties who are working are overburdened with teaching work, and are also denied relieving and experience letter if they submit their resignation. There is a great need for the regulatory authorities to have a strict scrutiny on such institutions and implement remedial measures to correct these irregularities.

Quiste odontogénico calcificante asociado a odontoma complejo en la región posterior del maxilar. Reporte de caso clínico y revisión de la literatura / Calcifying odontogenic cyst associated with complex odontoma in the posterior litera of the maxilla. A case report and review of the literature

El quiste odontogénico calcificante (QOC) es raro y representa <1% de todos los quistes odontogénicos, pertenece a las lesiones conocidas como "tumores de células fantasma", estos son una familia de lesiones que varían en presentación clínica de quiste o neoplasia sólida, en su comportamiento biológico de benigno a localmente agresivo o metastásico, esta diversidad ha generado extenso debate sobre la clasificación, terminología, manejo y pronóstico de estas patologías. Presentamos el caso clínico de un paciente masculino de 17 años de edad con diagnóstico de quiste odontogénico calcificante asociado a odontoma complejo situado en la región posterior del maxilar, en la literatura existen reportados solo 27 casos de QOC en esa zona. Fue tratado mediante enucleación quirúrgica, curetaje, rotación de almohadilla grasa bucal y colocación de malla de titanio para reconstruir la pared anterior del seno maxilar. El control postoperatorio clínico y radiográfico a 12 meses no muestra recidiva de la lesión además exhibe un excelente resultado funcional y estético, esto nos permite concluir que el tratamiento fue adecuado. Realizamos una revisión de la literatura en Science Direct, PubMed y Biblioteca Cochrane, con objeto de informar las características clínicas, histopatológicas, radiográficas y el tratamiento de estas lesiones.

The calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) is rare and represents <1% of all odontogenic cysts, it belongs to the lesions known as "ghost cell tumors", these are a family of lesions that vary in clinical presentation of cyst or solid neoplasia, in their behavior biological from benign to locally aggressive or metastatic, this diversity has generated extensive debate on the classification, terminology, management and prognosis of these pathologies. We present the clinical case of a 17-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of calcifying odontogenic cyst associated with a complex odontoma located in the posterior region of the maxilla, in the literature there are only 27 reported cases of (COC) in that area, he was treated by surgical enucleation, curettage, rotation of the buccal fat pad and placement of titanium mesh to reconstruct the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus. The clinical and radiographic postoperative control at 12 months does not show recurrence of the lesion, in addition it exhibits an excellent functional and aesthetic result, this allows us to conclude that the treatment was adequate. We conducted a review of the literature in Science Direct, PubMed and Cochrane, in order to report the clinical, histopathological, radiographic characteristics and the treatment of these lesions.

Danger beyond the catches: a review of conservation threats posed by commercial and non-commercial fisheries in Guaratuba Bay, southern Brazil / Perigo além das capturas: uma revisão das ameaças à conservação pelas pescas comercial e recreativa na Baía de Guaratuba, sul do Brasil

Comparisons between the implications of commercial and recreational fisheries for estuarine conservation have been a topic of debate. A review on the available data from Guaratuba Bay, Southern Brazil, identifies six threats for conservation, other than those concerning the fishing effort on target resources. Differing from the popular view that fishing for pleasure could be innocuous for the environment, the identified threats concern both commercial and non-commercial fisheries: (1) catching of reproductive individuals; (2) catch of big old fat fecund females; (3) loss and abandonment of fishing gears; (4) use of natural baits; (5) bycatch of rays, turtles and non-target finfish; and (6) bad practices associated with catch-and-release or discarding. Environmental disturbances and fauna depletion are detected as potential impacts. Recommended actions for estuary conservation include fishing closures in mangrove and shallow waters areas, release of fish larger than the critical size, and measures against abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gears.

As implicações das pescas comercial e recreativa para conservação dos estuários têm sido largamente discutidas. Uma revisão das informações disponíveis para a Baía de Guaratuba, sul do Brasil, identifica seis ameaças à conservação, que extrapolam aquelas concernentes ao esforço de captura sobre as espécies-alvo. Contrariando a visão comum de que a pesca de lazer seria inócua para o ambiente, as ameaças identificadas referem-se tanto à pesca comercial como à não-comercial: (1) captura de indivíduos em atividade reprodutiva; (2) captura de fêmeas grandes e mais fecundas; (3) perda e abandono de materiais de pesca; (4) uso de iscas naturais; (5) captura incidental de raias, tartarugas e peixes não-alvo; e (6) práticas inadequadas associadas a pesque-e-solte e descarte. Impactos potenciais são perturbações ambientais e depleção de fauna. Ações recomendadas para conservação do estuário incluem interdição de pesca no manguezal e áreas rasas, soltura de peixes com tamanho superior ao crítico, e medidas contra abandono, perda e outras formas de descarte de materiais de pesca.

Exophytic gingival growth of the maxillary canine region in a young individual: Extremely rare case report of peripheral dentinogenic ghost cell tumor

The present case report is a case of peripheral dentinogenic ghost cell tumor (PDGCT), an extremely rare solid benign neoplastic variant of calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor of the gingiva mimicking clinically as pyogenic granuloma, fibroma, peripheral ossifying fibroma, and peripheral giant-cell granuloma. A 24-year-old male reported with painless, firm, solitary, sessile, smooth-surfaced, nonulcerative, nonpulsatile, well-defined swelling measuring ≈12 mm × 9 mm in the interdental gingiva of the teeth #13 and #14 extending to the mucogingival junction. Intraoral periapical radiographic showed a normal trabecular pattern with mild radiolucency without bony expansion, periapical lesion, and resorption of the adjacent teeth. The diagnosis was established by histopathologic examination. Very few cases of this entity have been documented in the literature. The present case report aims to document this rare entity and emphasizes on the fact that histopathological examination of every localized gingival growth should be included in the treatment planning to differentiate with other commonly found lesions

Pancreatic panniculitis: case report

Pancreatic panniculitis is a rare condition, affecting 2 to 3% of patients with pancreatic diseases, such as acute pancreatitis or pancreatic carcinoma. The clinical manifestations of panniculitis are painful erythematous nodules, predominantly affecting the lower limbs. From an anatomopathological point of view, the subcutaneous nodules are made of fat necrosis and vacuolated macrophages. The treatment consists in resolving the underlying diseases. We present the case of a 56-year-old female, admitted on the Emergency Department, who presented with acute abdominal pain and subcutaneous erythematous nodules. The combination of laboratory data, clinical and anatomopathological results confirmed the pancreatic panniculitis, in an underlying acute pancreatitis. The treatment focused on the resolution of the pancreatic disease.

An unusual presentation of ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma: A case report with review of literature

Ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma (GCOC) is a malignant odontogenic epithelial tumor which is an exceedingly rare, highly aggressive, rapidly growing, and infiltrative tumor forming the malignant counterpart of long-standing benign cystic lesions coming in the spectrum of calcifying odontogenic cysts. To date, only a few cases have been reported in the medical literature. A case of unusual presentation of GCOC is presented and the clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical features are discussed along with a literature review. Our case report further emphasizes the bizarre biological behavior of this tumor and the need for strict long-term surveillance of the patients as metastasis to distant sites has been reported.

Construction and immunocompetence of recombinant DNA E.coli ghosts expressing Treponema pallidum adhesin Tp0751 / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To construct the recombinant DNA E.coli ghosts (EBGs) expressing Treponema pallidum adhesin Tp0751 (pcD/Tp0751-BG) and determine its immunocompetence in immunized mice,and provide a potential novel method for syphilis vaccine developing.Methods:The recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)/Tp0751 was constructed and loaded into empty EBGs to create pcD/Tp0751-BG.The loading rate was determined accordingly.Macrophages cell line RAW264.7 was transfected with pcD/Tp0751-BG,and the expression of recombinant Tp0751(rTp0751) protein was detected by Western blot(WB).For immuno-competence in mice,the female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 6 groups,including three control groups,A (PBS),B (EBG),C (empty pcDNA),and experimental group D(naked pcD/Tp0751),E (pcD/Tp0751-BG) and F (pcD/Tp0751-BG+rTp0751).All the mice were immunized as indicated for three times by intramuscular injection at two weeks intervals.The levels of specific IgG in sera and SIgA in genital tract lavage fluid were measured by ELISA.Levels of lymphocyte proliferation and IFN-γ secretion in spleen cells were measured by CCK-8 Cell Counting Kit and ELISA as well,respectively.Results:The loading rate of pcD/Tp0751 to EBGs was 76.1%.WB showed that the target recombinant protein pcD/Tp0751 expressed in RAW264.7 cells was active with Tp-infected rabbit sera.The titers of specific IgG and SIgA in group D,E,F gradually increased to significantly higher level as compared to the control groups (P<0. 01),which reached its peak at wk 8 after last immunization(the titers of IgG and SIgA were 1 :102 400 and 1 :12 800 in group F,respectively). Higher levels of specific IgG and SIgA were observed in groups E and F as compared to group D after first boost (P<0. 01),with groups F higher than group E after last boost(P<0. 01). At wk 8 after the last boost,the stimulation index (SI) and levels of IFN-γ in group D,E,F were all significant higher than the control groups (P<0. 01), with group E and F higher than group D (P<0. 01),and group E higher than group F (P<0. 05). Conclusion: The recombinant DNA EBGs of T. pallidum adhesin Tp0751 (pcD/ Tp0751-BG) possesses the immunocompetence to induce not only strong mucosal and systemic humoral immune response but also systemic cellular immune response in BALB/ c mice. The heterologous boost can be more efficient than homologous boost during immunization process.

Is the “ghost surgery” the subject of legal punishment in Korea?

PURPOSE: Recently a controversy has arisen about so-called “ghost surgery” practices, and people have voiced their opinions for legal sanction against such practices, which clearly undermine the foundation of medical ethics. However, there has been a lack of legal basis for punishing those actions. The present study aims to examine which pre-existing legal provisions could be applied to regulate ghost surgery. METHODS: The Korean Medical Service Act has a provision relating to informed consent to inhibit ghost surgery but does not include penalty provisions prohibiting ghost surgery itself. Also, the Korean Supreme Court precedents on this issue have not been settled as of yet. Therefore, this study referred to U.S precedents, law books, and related papers. RESULTS: With respect to ghost surgery, we expect the charges of bodily harm, assault and battery, and fraud could be applied under Korean law, in addition to charges regarding the violation of medical law, such as the omission of entries or false entries in medical records. A patient provides consent to bodily harm prior to surgery, and only the person who is entrusted with such permission can become the operating surgeon in the operating room. CONCLUSION: In other words, even if other medical professionals are present in the operating room, the operating surgeon who received consent must take overall responsibility for the whole process of the surgery. A surgeon should bear in mind that a violation of such duty can constitute a criminal offense.

Importance of Individual Ghost Cells in Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology Diagnosis of Pilomatricoma

BACKGROUND: Although histological diagnosis of pilomatricoma is not difficult because of its unique histological features, cytological diagnosis through fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is often problematic due to misdiagnoses as malignancy. METHODS: We reviewed the cytological features of 14 cases of histologically-proven pilomatricoma from Korea Cancer Center Hospital, with a discussion on the diagnostic pitfalls of FNAC. RESULTS: Among 14 cases of pilomatricoma, 10 (71.4%) were correctly diagnosed through FNAC, and two (14.3%) were misdiagnosed as carcinoma. Cytologically, all cases had easily recognizable clusters of basaloid cells and foreign body-type multinucleated cells. Although ghost cells were also found in all cases, some were inconspicuous and hardly recognizable due to their small numbers. CONCLUSIONS: An accurate diagnosis of pilomatricoma in FNAC is feasible with consideration of clinical information and close examination of ghost cells.

Melanin particles isolated from the fungus Fonsecaea pedrosoi activates the human complement system

BACKGROUND Melanin production has been associated with virulence in various pathogenic fungi, including Fonsecaea pedrosoi, the major etiological agent for chromoblastomycosis, a subcutaneous fungal disease that occurs in South America. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acid-basic extracted F. pedrosoi melanin particles and fungal cell ghosts obtained by Novozym 234 treatment on their ability to activate the human complement system. METHODS The ability of melanin particles and fungal cell ghosts to activate the human complement system was evaluated by complement consumption, immunofluorescence, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). FINDINGS Unsensitised melanin particles and melanin ghosts presented complement consumption of 82.67 ± 2.08% and 96.04 ± 1.13%, respectively. Immunofluorescence assays revealed intense deposition of the C3 and C4 fragments on the surface of melanin particles and ghosts extracted from F. pedrosoi. Deposition of the C3, C4, and C5 fragments onto melanin samples and zymosan was confirmed by ELISA. Deposition of small amounts of C1q and C9 onto melanin samples and zymosan was detected by ELISA. CONCLUSION Fonsecaea pedrosoi melanin particles and fungal cell ghosts activated the complement system mainly through an alternative pathway.

Range extension of Diclidurus scutatus (Chiroptera, Emballonuridae) to southwestern Amazonia / Extensão da distribuição de Diclidurus scutatus (Chiroptera, Emballonuridae) para o sudoeste da Amazônia

ABSTRACT Diclidurus scutatus is an aerial insectivore bat endemic of South America and considered rare throughout its distribution range. We present the first record of this species in Rondônia State, northern Brazil, expanding its distribution more than 1000 km into southwestern Amazonia. Including this record, D. scutatus is known for 20 localities from eight countries (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela), and two biomes-Amazonia and Atlantic Forest.

RESUMO Diclidurus scutatus é um morcego insetívoro aéreo, endêmico da América do Sul e considerado raro em toda sua área de distribuição. Apresentamos o primeiro registro dessa espécie para o estado de Rondônia, norte do Brasil, expandindo sua distribuição em mais de 1000 quilômetros para o sudoeste da Amazônia. Incluindo o presente registro, D. scutatus é conhecido para 20 localidades em oito países (Brasil, Colômbia, Equador, Guiana Francesa, Guiana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela) e dois biomas-Amazônia e Mata Atlântica.

Effect of Acupuncture at the Thirteen Ghost Points on the Electroencephalogram of Patients with Hepatic Encephalopathy / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To observe the effect of acupuncture at the thirteen ghost points on the electroencephalogram (EEG) of patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Method Eighty patients with hepatic encephalopathy were divided into a treatment group of 40 cases and a control group of 40 cases by the random number table. The control group was intervened by basic treatment, while the treatment group was intervened by acupuncture at the thirteen ghost points in addition to the treatment given to the control group. EEG was observed before and after the treatment.Result After 2-week treatment, the total effective rate was 65.0% in the control group versus 75.0% in the treatment group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The change of EEG towards normal level was more significant in the treatment group than that in the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture at the thirteen ghost points can obviously help improve the EEG of patients with hepatic encephalopathy and it can enhance the treatment efficacy of the basic treatment for hepatic encephalopathy.

Clinical observation on acupuncture at thirteen ghost acupoints for children with autism spectrum disorder / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of needling thirteen ghost acupoints for children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods:A total of 90 cases with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged between 2 and 6 years were randomly allocated into 2 groups by random number table. The control group (n=45) received routine rehabilitative training, and the treatment group (n=45) received acupuncture at thirteen ghost acupoints plus routine rehabilitative training. The Beijing Gesell developmental (Gesell) scale and autism behavior checklist (ABC) were used to assess the intellectual, language and behavior development before and 3 months after the treatment. Results:After the treatment, the total effective rate in the treatment group was 82.2%, versus 55.6% in the control group, showing a statistical significance (P<0.05). As for the scores of social, emotional and language in Gesell scale, there were significant intra-group differences in the treatment group (allP<0.05), and all the five subscales in the Gesell scale in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group (allP<0.05). As for the scores of ABC, there were significant intra-group differences in the treatment group (P<0.05), and the scores in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group (allP<0.05). Conclusion: Rehabilitation training plus acupuncture at thirteen ghost acupoints can significantly improve the intellectual, language and abnormal behavior in autism spectrum disorder children.

Clinical observation on acupuncture at thirteen ghost acupoints for children with autism spectrum disorder / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of needling thirteen ghost acupoints for children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods:A total of 90 cases with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged between 2 and 6 years were randomly allocated into 2 groups by random number table. The control group (n=45) received routine rehabilitative training, and the treatment group (n=45) received acupuncture at thirteen ghost acupoints plus routine rehabilitative training. The Beijing Gesell developmental (Gesell) scale and autism behavior checklist (ABC) were used to assess the intellectual, language and behavior development before and 3 months after the treatment. Results:After the treatment, the total effective rate in the treatment group was 82.2%, versus 55.6% in the control group, showing a statistical significance (P<0.05). As for the scores of social, emotional and language in Gesell scale, there were significant intra-group differences in the treatment group (allP<0.05), and all the five subscales in the Gesell scale in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group (allP<0.05). As for the scores of ABC, there were significant intra-group differences in the treatment group (P<0.05), and the scores in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group (allP<0.05). Conclusion: Rehabilitation training plus acupuncture at thirteen ghost acupoints can significantly improve the intellectual, language and abnormal behavior in autism spectrum disorder children.

Ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma on right mandible and its respective surgical reconstruction: a case report

Calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor (CCOT) is defined as an odontogenic cyst-like benign neoplasm that characteristically contains several ghost cells, ameloblastoma-like epithelium, and occasional calcification. Ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma (GCOC), a malignant form of CCOT, is an exceptionally rare malignant tumor. In this report, we present a case of a 53-year-old man whose chief complaint was a solitary mass on the right mandible area. The mass was completely removed through an extraoral surgical approach and reconstructive surgery was performed in two phases.