Primary Hepatic Schwannoma: Case Report and Literature Review.

Primary hepatic schwannoma is an extremely rare tumor with a good prognosis. Preoperative diagnosis is often challenging due to nonspecific clinical symptoms and its rarity. Here, we report a case of a 56-year-old male patient misdiagnosed with malignant liver tumor, later identified as primary hepatic schwannoma. Furthermore, clinical and histopathological features of 19 cases of primary hepatic schwannoma are also documented. The age of the patients ranged from 38 to 72 years, with a mean age of 56.4 years, and the disease was more common in females. Patients typically presented without clinical symptoms and were not associated with neurofibromatosis type 1. Histopathological features of the tumor were similar to soft tissue schwannoma, characterized by a thick capsule consisting of Antoni A and Antoni B areas. Immunohistochemically, the tumor showed strong positivity and diffusely stained with S-100, while being negative for CD34, CD117, and SMA. Complete resection of the tumor was achieved in all patients. The prognosis was favorable, with no signs of recurrence. Follow-up examinations revealed disease-free survival ranging from 6 to 27 months. Differential diagnosis of primary hepatic schwannoma from malignant liver tumors and metastatic liver tumors can be made based on histopathological features and immunohistochemical staining with S-100.

Microbial biodegradation of recalcitrant synthetic dyes from textile-enriched wastewater by Fusarium oxysporum.

The present study reported the improvement of biological treatment for the removal of recalcitrant dyes including aniline blue, reactive black 5, orange II, and crystal violet in contaminated water. The biodegradation efficiency of Fusarium oxysporum was significantly enhanced by the addition of mediators and by adjusting the biomass density and nutrient composition. A supplementation of 1% glucose in culture medium improved the biodegradation efficiency of aniline blue, reactive black 5, orange II, and crystal violet by 2.24, 1.51, 4.46, and 2.1 folds, respectively. Meanwhile, the addition of mediators to culture medium significantly increased the percentages of total removal for aniline blue, reactive black 5, orange II, and crystal violet, reaching 86.07%, 68.29%, 76.35%, and 95.3%, respectively. Interestingly, the fungal culture supplemented with 1% remazol brilliant blue R boosted the biodegradation up to 97.06%, 89.86%, 91.38%, and 86.67% for aniline blue, reactive black 5, orange II, and crystal violet, respectively. Under optimal culture conditions, the fungal culture could degrade these synthetic dyes concentration up to 104 mg/L. The present study demonstrated that different recalcitrant dye types can be efficiently degraded using microorganism such as F. oxysporum.

SARS-CoV-2 pan-variant inhibitory peptides deter S1-ACE2 interaction and neutralize delta and omicron pseudoviruses.

Approved neutralizing antibodies that target the prototype Spike are losing their potency against the emerging variants of concern (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2, particularly Omicron. Although SARS-CoV-2 is continuously adapting the host environment, emerging variants recognize the same ACE2 receptor for cell entry. Protein and peptide decoys derived from ACE2 or Spike proteins may hold the pan-variant inhibitory potential. Here, we deployed interactive structure- and pharmacophore-based approaches to design short and stable peptides -Coronavirus Spike Neutralizing Peptides (CSNPs)- capable of neutralizing all SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. After in silico structural stability investigation and free energies perturbation of the isolated and target-bound peptides, nine candidate peptides were evaluated for the biophysical interaction through SPR assay. CSNP1, CSNP2, and Pep1 dose-dependently bind the S1 domain of the prototype Spike, whereas CSNP4 binds both S1 and ACE2. After safety and immunocytochemistry evaluation, peptides were probed for their pan-variant inhibitory effects. CSNP1, CSNP2, and CSNP4 inhibited all VOCs dose-dependently, whereas Pep1 had a moderate effect. CSNP2 and CSNP4 could neutralize the wild-type pseudovirus up to 80 % when treated at 0.5 µM. Furthermore, CSNP4 synergize the neutralization effect of monoclonal antibody and CSNP1 in Delta variant pseudovirus assay as they target different regions on the RBD. Thus, we suggest that CSNPs are SARS-CoV-2 pan-variant inhibitory candidates for COVID-19 therapy, which may pave the way for combating the emerging immune-escaping variants. We also propose that CSNP1/2-CSNP4 peptide cocktail or CSNP1/4 mAbs cocktail with no overlapping epitopes could be effective therapeutic strategies against COVID-19.

Feeling Younger in Rural Burkina Faso: Exploring the Role of Subjective Age in the Light of Previous Research From High-Income Countries.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research on subjective age (SA), that is, how young or old a person feels relative to their chronological age, has shown that older adults tend to feel younger than they are (by about 15%-20%), but the extent of this effect depends, in part, on their health. However, as most of the studies have been conducted in Western countries, it is unclear how well these results generalize to culturally different samples. Objectives, therefore, were to examine SA in middle-aged and older adults from a very low-income setting in rural Burkina Faso, to examine associations between SA and health/quality of life-related measures, and to compare findings with Western studies. METHODS: Representative, cross-sectional sample of N = 3,028 adults (≥40 years, recruited in 2018) from north-western Burkina Faso. Data included questionnaires on depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life scale, including subjective health) as well as performance-based and objective health-related measures (Community Screening Instrument for Dementia as cognitive screening, walking speed). RESULTS: Respondents felt on average 3% younger (SD = 0.13) than their chronological age, with 48% (95% confidence interval: 0.46-0.50) feeling younger-27 percentage points lower than seen in representative Western studies. Lower depression, better walking speed, cognition, and quality of life were all associated with younger SA. DISCUSSION: Middle-aged and older adults in Nouna felt less young than similar age groups in Western studies. One of the reasons may be that youthfulness is less of a value outside Western cultures. As in Western studies, parts of the variation in SA can be explained by health parameters.

Relationship between family functioning and health-related quality of life among methadone maintenance patients: a Bayesian approach.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship of family functioning on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among methadone maintenance patients using the Bayesian approach. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 182 patients at Go Vap Methadone Clinic, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Family functioning and HRQoL were measured by the APGAR scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life short-form instrument (WHOQoL-BREF), respectively. Directed Acyclic Graphs were used to present the conceptual framework and to identify a set of confounders of the relationship between family functioning and HRQoL. Bayesian multivariable linear regressions were fitted with four different priors to determine the effect size of the relationship of interest. RESULTS: The mean score of APGAR was 6.0 (SD = 3.3), and the mean scores of HRQoL were from 47.1 (SD = 17.6) in the social relationships dimension to 69.0 (SD = 10.3) in the environment dimension. Patients with a higher score of family functioning were likely to have a higher score of HRQoL, with coefficients and 95% highest density interval (HDI) greater than 0 in all priors. Family functioning had the most substantial impact on the psychological health dimension, with 99.9% to 100% and 44.6% to 83.7% of posterior distribution greater than 1 and 2, in different priors, respectively. CONCLUSION: Family functioning is intimately associated with HRQoL. Treatment plans for patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment should aim to involve the families appropriately and effectively to maximize the benefits for patients and improve their overall well-being.

Estimating genetic diversity and population structure of 22 chicken breeds in Asia using microsatellite markers.

OBJECTIVE: Estimating the genetic diversity and structures, both within and among chicken breeds, is critical for the identification and conservation of valuable genetic resources. In chickens, microsatellite (MS) marker polymorphisms have previously been widely used to evaluate these distinctions. Our objective was to analyze the genetic diversity and relationships among 22 chicken breeds in Asia based on allelic frequencies. METHODS: We used 469 genomic DNA samples from 22 chicken breeds from eight Asian countries (South Korea, KNG, KNB, KNR, KNW, KNY, KNO; Laos, LYO, LCH, LBB, LOU; Indonesia, INK, INS, ING; Vietnam, VTN, VNH; Mongolia, MGN; Kyrgyzstan, KGPS; Nepal, NPS; Sri Lanka, SBC) and three imported breeds (RIR, Rhode Island Red; WLG, White Leghorn; CON, Cornish). Their genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships were analyzed using 20 MS markers. RESULTS: In total, 193 alleles were observed across all 20 MS markers, and the number of alleles ranged from 3 (MCW0103) to 20 (LEI0192) with a mean of 9.7 overall. The NPS breed had the highest expected heterozygosity (Hexp, 0.718±0.027) and polymorphism information content (PIC, 0.663±0.030). Additionally, the observed heterozygosity (Hobs) was highest in LCH (0.690±0.039), whereas WLG showed the lowest Hexp (0.372±0.055), Hobs (0.384±0.019), and PIC (0.325±0.049). Nei's DA genetic distance was the closest between VTN and VNH (0.086), and farthest between KNG and MGN (0.503). Principal coordinate analysis showed similar results to the phylogenetic analysis, and three axes explained 56.2% of the variance (axis 1, 19.17%; 2, 18.92%; 3, 18.11%). STRUCTURE analysis revealed that the 22 chicken breeds should be divided into 20 clusters, based on the highest ΔK value (46.92). CONCLUSION: This study provides a basis for future genetic variation studies and the development of conservation strategies for 22 chicken breeds in Asia.

Effects of the formation of reactive chlorine species on oxidation process using persulfate and nano zero-valent iron.

The chloride ion (Cl-) is a matrix ion that plays crucial roles in radical-based oxidation processes used to treat brackish or saline water. Here, the effects of the formation of reactive chlorine species on the performance of and reaction mechanisms involved in persulfate/nano zero-valent iron process were evaluated by investigating the reaction kinetics and performing reactive species scavenging tests. The phenol oxidation rate increased markedly in the early reaction stage in the presence of 25-200 mM of Cl-. This was because excess sulfate radicals (SO4-) reacted with Cl- to produce short-lived reactive chlorine species such as Cl and Cl2- rather than being scavenged by Fe2+ or other SO4-. The reactive chlorine species caused OH to form through radical propagation reactions. The total numbers of reactive species involved in phenol oxidation were higher at brackish to weakly saline Cl- concentrations than at lower and higher Cl- concentrations. At high Cl- concentrations (>400 mM), the phenol oxidation rate decreased because most of the SO4- reacted with Cl- to give large amounts of weaker oxidants such as Cl2- and HOCl. Acceleration of Fe corrosion by Cl- negligibly affected the persulfate/nano zero-valent iron oxidation process.

Azaindoles as potent CRTH2 receptor antagonists.

A new class of 7-azaindole analogs of MK-7246 as potent and selective CRTH2 antagonists is reported. The SAR leading to the identification of the optimal azaindole regioisomer as well as the pharmacokinetics and off-target activities of the most potent antagonists are disclosed.