Prognostic Value of Preoperative MRI Metrics for Diffuse Lower-Grade Glioma Molecular Subtypes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Despite the improved prognostic relevance of the 2016 WHO molecular-based classification of lower-grade gliomas, variability in clinical outcome persists within existing molecular subtypes. Our aim was to determine prognostically significant metrics on preoperative MR imaging for lower-grade gliomas within currently defined molecular categories. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We undertook a retrospective analysis of 306 patients with lower-grade gliomas accrued from an institutional data base and The Cancer Genome Atlas. Two neuroradiologists in consensus analyzed preoperative MRIs of each lower-grade glioma to determine the following: tumor size, tumor location, number of involved lobes, corpus callosum involvement, hydrocephalus, midline shift, eloquent cortex involvement, ependymal extension, margins, contrast enhancement, and necrosis. Adjusted hazard ratios determined the association between MR imaging metrics and overall survival per molecular subtype, after adjustment for patient age, patient sex, World Health Organization grade, and surgical resection status. RESULTS: For isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type lower-grade gliomas, tumor size (hazard ratio, 3.82; 95% CI, 1.94-7.75; P < .001), number of involved lobes (hazard ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.28-2.27; P < .001), hydrocephalus (hazard ratio, 4.43; 95% CI, 1.12-17.54; P = .034), midline shift (hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.30; P = .013), margins (P = .031), and contrast enhancement (hazard ratio, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13-0.90; P = .030) were associated with overall survival. For IDH-mutant 1p/19q-codeleted lower-grade gliomas, tumor size (hazard ratio, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.06-7.70; P = .039) and ependymal extension (hazard ratio, 6.34; 95% CI, 1.07-37.59; P = .042) were associated with overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: MR imaging metrics offers prognostic information for patients with lower-grade gliomas within molecularly defined classes, with the greatest prognostic value for IDH wild-type lower-grade gliomas.

HLA-DRB1*15:03 and HLA-DRB1*11: useful predictive alleles for alloantibody production in thalassemia patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, thalassemia has been introduced as a chronic disease. In spite of prolonging life in thalassemia patients, the quality of their life has not significantly improved. One of the challenges that makes their quality of life poor is alloimmunisation which causes several complications to patients by restricting their options. Some individuals are more susceptible to developing an alloantibody than others. They are categorised as responders and non-responders. Determining responders before the first transfusion allows transfusion services to provide compatible blood and prevent alloimmunisation. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between HLA-DRB1*15:03, HLA-DRB1*11 and HLA-DRB1*09:01 alleles and alloimmunisation in Iranian thalassemia patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Antibody screening tests were performed by tube method, and HLA-DRB1 genotyping was determined by Sequence-Specific Primers (SSP-PCR) in 59 alloimmunised and 205 non-alloimmunised patients. HLA-DRB1 allele frequencies were compared between alloantibody-positive and -negative groups through the χ2 test. RESULTS: HLA-DRB1*15:03 allele frequency was significantly different between groups (P = 0·000, odds ratio (OR) = 4·193). There was a correlation between HLA-DRB1*11 and anti-K (P = 0·000, OR = 6·643). There was no association between HLA-DRB1*09:01 and alloimmunisation (P = 0·350). CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, detecting HLA-DRB1*15:03 and HLA-DRB1*11 alleles are useful in the pre-transfusion test and could determine responder patients and improve transfusion safety.

Investigation of Paenibacillus alvei ARN63 ability for biodemulsifier production: medium optimization to break heavy crude oil emulsion.

The demulsifying performance of Paenibacillus alvei ARN63 (P. alvei), as a biodemulsifier-producing bacterium, for breaking water-in-heavy crude oil emulsion has been investigated. The produced lipopeptide biodemulsifier showed the potential to be used in the petroleum industry as an environmentally friendly and non-toxic material. To optimize the biodemulsifier production, the impacts of parameters such as temperature, pH, carbon source and carbon concentration at a constant agitation speed of 180 rpm and with ammonium sulfate as the sole nitrogen source (1.0 g/l) were studied in detail. Several normal paraffin compounds, vegetable oils and motor oil revealed the ability to be used as the carbon source for synthesis of biodemulsifier. The best biodemulsifier production was obtained employing motor oil as the carbon source with a concentration of 42.5 g/l at 37°C and pH 7.0 after 72 h of incubation. Under these conditions, the surface tension of the medium reduced from 58 mN/m to 24.7 mN/m and the biodemulsifier yield reached a value of 2.1 g/l. The demulsification ratio approached 77% and the produced biodemulsifier by P. alvei strain effectively broke water-in-heavy crude oil emulsion. According to biodemulsifier production and growth time course profiles, the biosynthesis was growth associated. Besides, the produced biodemulsifier had good stability during exposure to salinities up to 20%, temperatures up to 80°C and a wide pH range of 2-12.

Effect of consumption of fatty acids, calcium, vitamin D and boron with regular physical activity on bone mechanical properties and corresponding metabolic hormones in rats.

The consumption of fatty acids, nutrients, and regular physical activity, individually influence bone mechanical properties in rats. To investigate their effects in combination, male rats were divided into the seven groups: G1: regular food and drinking water; G2: same as Gr.1 + physical activity (Whole body vibration; WBV); G3: same as Gr.2 + Calcium, Vit. D, Boron; G4: same as Gr.3 + canola oil; G5: same as Gr.3 + sunflower oil; G6: same as Gr.3 + mix of sunflower oil and canola oil; and G7: same as Gr.3 + coconut oil; and treated for 8 weeks. Analysis between the control with the groups 2 and 3 revealed that vibration in the G2 increased the body weight (P = 0.04), with no other major difference in plasma and bone indices. Comparison between the control with the G4-G7 (the oil groups) revealed that the rats in the G5 had a lower body weight (15 % less) and a significant increase in plasma levels of Estradiol in the G7 was noted. In addition, levels of Testosterone in the G4 and G7, and Free Testosterone in the G7 had a remarkable increase. Similar trend was observed for plasma levels of Vit. D in the G4 and G5. The stiffness and the breaking strength of the femur in the G7, and the breaking strength of the lumbar in the G7 compared to the control and the G4 and G5 was significantly higher and tended to increase in comparison to the G6. Better and stronger measurements observed for coconut oil is warranted to further study its effect on biomechanical properties of bones.

Effect of combination therapy of fatty acids, calcium, vitamin D and boron with regular physical activity on cardiovascular risk factors in rat.

The effect of consumption of fatty acids and selected nutrients, along with regular physical activity, on cardiovascular risk factors in rats was investigated.Male rats were divided into the seven groups: Group 1: regular food and drinking water, Group 2: same as Group. 1 + physical activity (whole body vibration; WBV), Group 3: same as Group. 2 + calcium, vitamin D, boron, Group 4: same as Group. 3 + canola oil, Group 5: same as Group. 3 + sunflower oil, Group 6: same as Group. 3 + mix of sunflower oil and canola oil, Group 7: same as Group. 3 + coconut oil. Rats were treated for 8 weeks, and analysis of the frozen plasmas was performed. A- Analysis between the treatment groups and control revealed that vibration training in Group 2 increased body weight (P = 0.04), plasma creatin kinase (CK), (P = 0.02), and estradiol (E2), (P = 0.03). Rats in Group 5 consumed less food and plasma levels of cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) increased significantly (P = 0.02) in Group 6 and in Group 7 (p<0.05). B- Analysis of data among Group 4 - 7 (the oil consuming groups) and Group 3 revealed significant differences in cholesterol (Chol), LDL-C, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), C- reactive protein (hs-CRP), estradiol (E2), atherogenic index (AI), and risk factor (RF), (p<0.05). In addition, plasma levels of testosterone (T) and free testosterone (FT) in Group 7 had a remarkable but non-significant increase. As a result of vibration training, a similar trend was observed for vitamin D in Group 2-7. The findings show that WBV is effective in improving health status by influencing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Moreover, canola oil and sunflower oil, separately, showed beneficial impacts on CVD risk factors; whereas their combination had negative impacts on lipid profile. Coconut oil revealed to be efficient to provide health benefits in terms of CVD treatments.

Whole body vibration is a safe exercise training method and induces no impaired alterations on rat plasma parameters.

UNLABELLED: Whole body vibration (WBV) has been regarded as an exercise training method and as a non-pharmacological supportive treatment option appearing to be efficient for chronic disease conditions, such as bone disorders and cardio-respiratory fitness. Since, data on the safety and efficacy of vibration on plasma parameters are lacking, therefore, it was decided to assess the effects of WBV on the plasma parameters in adult male Wistar rat model. METHODS: Male Wistar rats, weighing 140­180 g, were divided into control and the vibration group. Vibration training consisted of vertical sinusoidal whole body vibration for 8 weeks, followed by blood collection. RESULTS: The vibrated rats weighed more than the control group (approximately 14% more). Plasma CK, E2 and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the vibration group compared with the controls. The mean of Vit. D level was 15% higher; hsCRP level was 11% lower and IL-6 level was 32% higher in the vibration group. No difference was observed for other selected plasma parameters. DISCUSSION: The potential effects of physiological responses of WBV on several physiological systems are without deteriorations in plasma parameters.