Preliminary findings of German-sourced ONC201 treatment in H3K27 altered pediatric pontine diffuse midline gliomas.

PURPOSE: H3K27 altered pediatric pontine diffuse midline gliomas (pDMG) have a poor prognosis, and conventional treatments offer limited benefits. However, recent advancements in molecular evaluations and targeted therapies have shown promise. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of German-sourced ONC201, a selective antagonist of dopamine receptor DRD2, for the treatment of pediatric H3K27 altered pDMGs. METHODS: Pediatric patients with H3K27 altered pDMG treated between January 2016 and July 2022 were included in this retrospective analysis. Tissue samples were acquired from all patients via stereotactic biopsy for immunohistochemistry and molecular profiling. All patients received radiation treatment with concurrent temozolomide, and those who could acquire GsONC201 received it as a single agent until progression. Patients who could not obtain GsONC201 received other chemotherapy protocols. RESULTS: Among 27 patients with a median age of 5.6 years old (range 3.4-17.9), 18 received GsONC201. During the follow-up period, 16 patients (59.3%) had progression, although not statistically significant, the incidence of progression tended to be lower in the GsONC201 group. The median overall survival (OS) of the GsONC201 group was considerably longer than of the non-GsONC201 group (19.9 vs. 10.9 months). Only two patients receiving GsONC201 experienced fatigue as a side effect. 4 out of 18 patients in the GsONC201 group underwent reirradiation after progression. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study suggests that GsONC201 may improve OS in pediatric H3K27-altered pDMG patients without significant side effects. However, caution is warranted due to retrospective design and biases, highlighting the need for further randomized clinical studies to validate these findings.

Fluorescence interactions of a novel chalcone derivative with membrane model systems and human serum albumin.

A novel chalcone derivative (4-(5-(pyridin-2-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-3-yl) phenol (PDP) was synthesized, characterized and investigated for its potential as a fluorescent probe. The structure of the synthesized molecule was determined by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and LC-MS/MS. The interactions of PDP with fluorescent dyes in aqueous SDS environment and HSA were studied by using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. In addition, the cytotoxic effects of PDP against various cell lines (MCF -7, HT -29, and 3 T3-L1) as well as their corresponding healthy cell lines were tested by MTT assay and visualization of FRET efficiency of PDP in vitro was monitored by confocal microscopy. MTT assay showed that PDP has no significant cytotoxic effect on HT -29 cancer cells and moderate cytotoxicity on MCF -7 and 3 T3-L1 cells even at a concentration of 250 µM. Combining confocal microscopes with the FRET technique showed that PDP significantly stained the cytoplasm of MCF -7 cell lines. These results suggest that PDP could be used in fluorescence microscopy for cell staining.

Bioactive sulfonyl hydrazones with alkyl derivative: Characterization, ADME properties, molecular docking studies and investigation of inhibition on choline esterase enzymes for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

In this work, new sulfonylhydrazone compounds with alkyl derivatives (SH1- SH4 series) were synthesized via a green chemistry method, and their inhibition effects on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE, BChE) were determined in vitro. This work was designed in two stages; in the first stage, using compounds that contain both sulfonamide and hydrazine groups which have important pharmacological properties, a series of sulfonyl hydrazone with alkyl derivatives (SH1- SH4) were synthesized with a method that is less time-consuming and more environmentalist that was by using different substitute groups containing aldehyde and ketone compounds. The structures of the synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR methods. In the second stage, the effects of the synthesized sulfonyl hydrazones with alkyl derivatives on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes were examined. According to the results, all the synthesized compounds inhibited AChE and BChE enzymes. When the IC50 values were compared, SH2-3 (IC50 = 5.27 ± 0.05 µM) and SH3-3 (IC50 = 12.29 ± 1.47 µM) compounds which are containing the butyl group have the best inhibition effect on the AChE enzyme and BChE enzyme, respectively. In addition, the predictive properties of all compounds in terms of drug similarity were scanned using five Lipinski rules and ADME estimations. In silico ADME studies play an important role in improving and predicting drug compounds. In the ADME study; The absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and properties of the molecules given below were theoretically calculated. Also, to evaluate the binding interactions between the sulfonylhydrazone compounds and enzymes, molecular docking studies were performed and the compounds with the best inhibition effect SH2-3 (for AChE enzyme) and SH3-3 (for BChE enzyme) were tested. Both in vitro and silico the results showed that two compounds could act as potent inhibitors of AChE, BChE.

At what speed does spinal degeneration gear up?: Aging Paradigm in patients with Low Back Pain.

OBJECTIVE: Aging is a cause of spinal degeneration. However, the natural history of degeneration process is unclear. We aimed to analyze change of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and Modic changes in Caucasians with LBP decade by decade. We also aimed to find out breaking points of having severe IVDD and Modic changes throughout human life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a retrospective database in patients aged between 10 and 100 years. All patients were evaluated in terms of IVDD and Modic changes. Optimal binning was conveyed to group age of the patients in terms of major changes in percentages of severe IVDD and Modic changes. RESULTS: We evaluated 2434 patients (female: 1328 and male: 1106; mean age: 47.2 ± 17.2 years; age range = 10-98 years). In all patients, 50.5% and 23.6% had severe IVDD and Modic changes at any lumbar level, respectively. Women were significantly more likely to have severe IVDD than men. Frequency of Modic changes at any lumbar level significantly increased in 40 s and 60 s, whereas frequency of severe IVDD at any lumbar level significantly increased in 20 s, 30 s, 50 s and 70 s CONCLUSION: Spinal degeneration had specific gear-up periods in human life. Age groups of future spine studies could be defined according to the new defined change periods of severe IVDD and Modic changes in human life.

Could gas-filled pseudocyst mimick extruded disc herniation?

There are case reports and small case series in the literature reporting gas-filled pseudocysts (GFP). However, a systematic review presenting overall view of the disease and its management is still lacking. In the present study, we aimed to make a systematic review of GFP cases, and present an exemplary case of ours. Our second aim was to discuss current theories for pathogenesis of GFP. A systematic review of GFP was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. Two large-scaled data search engines were used. A total of 53 articles were retrieved from the literature and presented with an exemplary case of ours. Mean age of the historical cohort was 59.47 years. There were 66 male (54.1%) and 56 female (45.9%) patients. The most prevalent clinical presentation was radicular sign/symptom in lower limbs with (29.1%) or without low back pain (LBP) (67%). Gas-filled pseudocyst has most commonly been diagnosed at the lower lumbar spine (L4-L5, 45.3%; L5-S1, 37.7%). Surgery was the treatment of choice in most of the patients (80%). In the whole cohort, 79.1% of the patients had complete recovery. Gas-filled pseudocysts are rarely observed in daily practice. They present mostly in men at the age of 60s. Precise differential diagnosis determination using appropriate imaging would help clinicians treat the patients properly. Gas-filled pseudocysts should be treated similarly to other spinal pathologies causing nerve root compression.

Simple and Fast Determination of Terbinafine in Human Urine by Dilute and Shoot HPLC-DAD Using a Core-Shell Column.

BACKGROUND: Terbinafine is an allylamine antifungal that is effective against many fungi, dermatophytes and moulds. Analytical methods are required for the determination of terbinafine in biological fluids to perform therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a novel and fast method combining dilute and shoot approach and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection for the determination of terbinafine in human urine. METHODS: Chromatographic parameters including mobile phase composition, pH, flow rate and injection volume were assessed and optimized. The separation of terbinafine and naproxen (internal standard) was achieved within 3 min using a C18 core-shell column (Raptor ARC-18, 100 x 4.6 mm, 2.7 µm) under isocratic conditions. Samples were eluted from the column at the flow rate of 1.4 mL/min using a mobile phase containing 0.2% triethylamine in water (pH 3.4 with formic acid): acetonitrile (45:55, v/v). RESULTS: The presented technique was linear in the range of 25-2000 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-day reproducibility at four quality control levels (25, 200, 750 and 1500 ng/mL) were less than 7%, with relative errors ranging from -5.40% to 5.91%. The limit of detection was 12.60 ng/mL. The developed method has three main advantages compared to existing methods: simplicity and greenness of sample preparation, use of core-shell column and short analysis time. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the combination of dilute and shoot approach and core-shell column can be regarded as an advantageous application for the fast determination of terbinafine in the urine.

Determination of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin and gemifloxacin in urine and plasma by HPLC-FLD-DAD using pentafluorophenyl core-shell column: Application to drug monitoring.

Concentrations of fluoroquinolones, which are used in the treatment of many bacterial infections, should be monitored in biological fluids as they exhibit concentration-dependent bactericidal activity. In this study, a liquid chromatography method for the determination of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin and gemifloxacin in human urine and plasma was developed for the first time. The efficiency of five different columns for the separation of these fluoroquinolones was compared. Experimental parameters that affect the separation, such as percentage of organic solvent, pH, temperature, gradient shape and detector wavelength, were optimized by a step-by-step approach. Using a pentafluorophenyl core-shell column (100 × 4.6 mm, 2.7 µm), the separation of four analytes was accomplished in <7.5 min. The developed method was validated for the determination of analytes in both urine and plasma with respect to sensitivity, specificity, linearity (r ≥ 0.9989), recovery (79.46-102.69%), accuracy, precision and stability (85.79-111.07%). The intra- and inter-day accuracies were within 89.55-111.94% with relative standard deviations of 0.35-8.05%. The feasibility of method was demonstrated by analyzing urine and plasma samples of patients orally receiving levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin or moxifloxacin. The developed method is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of these fluoroquinolones and can be applied to pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies.

Effect of cytokinins on in vitro multiplication, volatiles composition and rosmarinic acid content of Thymus leucotrichus Hal. shoots.

An efficient in vitro multiplication protocol was designed to Thymus leucotrichus, a subshrub and perennial herb growing naturally in the Northwest of Turkey. Of all basal media studied, Murashige and Skoog medium was found to be superior to the others, providing higher shoot formation and the maximum shoot length. Varying concentrations of cytokinins, i.e., 6-benzyladenine, thidiazuron, 2-isopentenyladenine and kinetin were supplemented in the nutrient media to observe their effects on shoot development and biomass. Rosmarinic acid content and volatile compositions of both naturally growing plants and in vitro multiplied plantlets were also evaluated. 6-benzyladenine (1.0 mg/L) and kinetin (0.5 mg/L) were found to be optimum for shoot number and shoot elongation, respectively. Thidiazuron (1.0 mg/L) was superior for biomass production. Rosmarinic acid content of in vitro multiplied plants was found to be higher than that of wild plants, reaching a maximum with 0.5 mg/L 2-isopentenyladenine, which yielded 10.15 mg/g dry weight. The highest thymol content was obtained with 1.0 mg/L kinetin (55.82%), while thidiazuron (0.1 mg/L) increased carvacrol production (12.53%). Overall, Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L kinetin was determined to be the most favorable medium studied.

Correlation between serum lactate levels and outcome in pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between perioperative arterial lactate levels and morbidity and mortality in children undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: A total of 236 patients who underwent open heart surgery due to congenital heart disease (121 males, 115 females; mean age 56.4 month (median: 42 month): range, 1 day to 204 month) between June 2014 and May 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The arterial blood gas analysis results at baseline (after insertion of arterial cannula), during the cooling and warming-up phases in cardiopulmonary bypass, during the sternal closure, and at 0, 6, 12, and 24 hours in the postoperative intensive care unit stay were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups according to their lactate levels: Group 1 (lactate level <4.5 mmol/L, n=183) and Group 2 (lactate level ≥4.5 mmol/L, n=53). Correlation between the lactate groups and demographic data, intraoperative and postoperative variables, postoperative complications, and mortality were investigated. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients (29.2%) had cyanotic heart disease. A total of 53 patients (22.5%) had lactate levels of ≥4.5 mmol/L. At least one complication occurred in 41% of the patients. Development of at least one complication (p=0.027) and mortality rate (p<0.001) were significantly higher in the patients with lactate levels of ≥4.5 mmol/L. Seventeen patients (7.2%) died in the postoperative period, and 15 of them had lactate levels of ≥4.5 mmol/L at least once within the first 24 hours. In terms of mortality, lactate levels of ≥4.5 mmol/L at any time, prolonged mechanical ventilation (>48 hours), and undergoing complex surgery (high the Risk-adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 score, category 4-6) were the independent risk factors for mortality. CONCLUSION: Blood arterial lactate level of ≥4.5 mmol/L was found to be a risk factor for postoperative morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart surgery.

Holographic Graph Neuron: A Bioinspired Architecture for Pattern Processing.

In this paper, we propose a new approach to implementing hierarchical graph neuron (HGN), an architecture for memorizing patterns of generic sensor stimuli, through the use of vector symbolic architectures. The adoption of a vector symbolic representation ensures a single-layer design while retaining the existing performance characteristics of HGN. This approach significantly improves the noise resistance of the HGN architecture, and enables a linear (with respect to the number of stored entries) time search for an arbitrary subpattern.

Fast determination of anthocyanins and free pelargonidin in fruits, fruit juices, and fruit wines by high-performance liquid chromatography using a core-shell column.

Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments that are liable for colors ranging from red to blue of most fruits, vegetables, and flowers. A novel and fast method was developed for the determination of five anthocyanins and free pelargonidin by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detection. A 10% formic acid and acetonitrile mixture was employed as mobile phase in the gradient elution mode. Mobile phase composition, column temperature, flow rate, injection volume, and column conditioning time were optimized by employing a stepwise strategy. Using a C18 core-shell column (100 × 4.6 mm, 2.7 µm), the separation of six analytes was accomplished in less than 9.5 min with a run-to-run analysis time of 19 min. The developed method was validated with respect to linearity (r > 0.9999), limit of detection, limit of quantification, intra-/interday precision (<2%), accuracy (98.6-104.4%), and specificity. Afterwards, the method was applied to the determination of anthocyanins present in 15 different samples including fruits, fruit juices, and fruit wines.

Effect of increased exposure times on amount of residual monomer released from single-step self-etch adhesives.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increased exposure times on the amount of residual Bis-GMA, TEGDMA, HEMA and UDMA released from single-step self-etch adhesive systems. METHODS: Two adhesive systems were used. The adhesives were applied to bovine dentin surface according to the manufacturer's instructions and were polymerized using an LED curing unit for 10, 20 and 40 seconds (n = 5). After polymerization, the specimens were stored in 75% ethanol-water solution (6 mL). Residual monomers (Bis-GMA, TEGDMA, UDMA and HEMA) that were eluted from the adhesives (after 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days and 30 days) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD tests. RESULTS: Among the time periods, the highest amount of released residual monomers from adhesives was observed in the 10th minute. There were statistically significant differences regarding released Bis-GMA, UDMA, HEMA and TEGDMA between the adhesive systems (p<0.05). There were no significant differences among the 10, 20 and 40 second polymerization times according to their effect on residual monomer release from adhesives (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the polymerization time did not have an effect on residual monomer release from single-step self-etch adhesives.

Preparing a new biosensor for hypoxanthine determination by immobilization of xanthine oxidase and uricase in polypyrrole-polyvinyl sulphonate film.

In this study, a new amperometric biosensor for the determination of hypoxanthine was developed. To this aim, polypyrrole-polyvinyl sulphonate films were prepared on the platinum electrode by the electropolymerization of pyrrole in the presence of polyvinyl sulphonate. Xanthine oxidase and uricase enzymes were immobilized in polypyrrole-polyvinyl sulphonate via the entrapment method. Optimum conditions of enzyme electrode were determined. Hypoxanthine detection is based on the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide at +400 mV produced by the enzymatic reaction on the enzyme electrode surface. The linear working range of biosensor for hypoxanthine was determined. The effects of pH and temperature on the response of the hypoxanthine biosensor were investigated. Optimum pH and temperature were measured as 8 and 30°C, respectively. Operational and storage stability of the biosensor were determined. After 20 assays, the biosensor sustained 74.5% of its initial performance. After 33 days, the biosensor lost 36% of its initial performance. The performance of the biosensor was tested in real samples.

Glucose biosensor based on the immobilization of glucose oxidase on electrochemically synthesized polypyrrole-poly(vinyl sulphonate) composite film by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde.

In this study, a novel amperometric glucose biosensor was developed by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOX) by cross-linking via glutaraldehyde on electrochemically polymerized polypyrrole-poly(vinyl sulphonate) (PPy-PVS) films on the surface of a platinum (Pt) electrode. Electropolymerization of pyrrole and poly(vinyl sulphonate) on the Pt surface was carried out with an electrochemical cell containing pyrrole and poly(vinyl sulphonate) by cyclic voltammetry between -1.0 and + 2.0 V (vs.Ag/AgCl) at a scan rate of 50 mV/s upon the Pt electrode. The amperometric determination was based on the electrochemical detection of H(2)O(2) generated in enzymatic reaction of glucose. Determination of glucose was carried out by the oxidation of enzymatically produced H(2)O(2) at 0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The effects of pH and temperature were investigated and optimum parameters were found to be 7.5 and 65°C, respectively. The effect of working potential was investigated and optimum potential was determined to be 0.4 V. The operational stability of the enzyme electrode was also studied. The response of the PPy/PVS-GOX glucose biosensor exhibited good reproducibility with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.48%. The glucose biosensor retained 63% of initial activity after 93 days when stored in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution of pH 7.5 at 4°C. With the low operating potential, the biosensor demonstrated little interference from the possible interferants.

An amperometric biosensor for fish freshness detection from xanthine oxidase immobilized in polypyrrole-polyvinylsulphonate film.

A new amperometric biosensor was developed for determining hypoxanthine in fish meat. Xanthine oxidase with pyrrole and polyvinylsulphonate was immobilized on the surface of a platinum electrode by electropolymerization. The determination of xanthine-hypoxanthine was performed by means of oxidation of uric acid liberated during the enzyme reaction on the surface of the enzyme electrode at + 0.30V (SCE). The effects of pH, substrate concentration, and temperature on the response of the xanthine-hypoxanthine biosensor were investigated. The linear working range of the enzyme electrode was 1.0 × 10(-7) -1.0 × 10(-3) M of the hypoxanthine concentration, and the detection limit was 1.0 × 10(-7)M. The apparent K(m(app)) and I(max) of the immobilized xanthine oxidase were found to be 0.0154 mM and 1.203 µA/mM, respectively. The best pH and temperature value for xanthine oxidase were selected as 7.75 and 25°C, respectively. The sensor was used for the determination of hypoxhantine in fish meat. Results show that the fish degraded very rapidly after seven days and the hypoxanthine amount was found to increase over days of storage.

Chemical constituents and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils from Sedum pallidum var. bithynicum and S. spurium grown in Turkey.

Chemical compositions of the essential oil of Sedum pallidum Bieb. var. bithynicum (Boiss.) and S. spurium Bieb. (Crassulaceae) from Turkey were investigated by GC-MS, and antimicrobial activity of the oil samples were assessed against Gram-positive/negative bacteria and yeast-like fungi. Thirty-eight and thirty-five components were identified in the essential oils and the main components of these species were found to be caryophyllene oxide from S. pallidum var. bithynicum and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone from S. spurium in the ratios of 12.8% and 15.7%, respectively. The isolated essential oils of the plants showed low antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative/positive bacteria and yeast-like fungi, having the MIC values of 500-2000 microg/mL. Antibacterial activity was not observed against Bacillus cereus.

Photodimerizations of hydroxy- and benzoylated 4-azachalcones and quantum chemical investigation of the reactions.

Photodimerization reactions of compounds 4-6 gave four new cyclobutane-containing compounds (7-9) with full control over the stereochemistry at the four stereogenic centers. These new cyclobutane-containing compounds had beta-truxinic (7a), delta-truxinic (7b and 9), and epsilon-truxillic (8) structures. However, o-, m-, and p-hydroxy 4-azachalcones (1-3) did not give photochemical cyclization products under any conditions (in solvent or in their solid or molten states). Experimental data suggested the possibility of frontier orbital control over stereochemical behavior, so some theoretical calculations were performed. Full geometrical optimization of compounds 1-9 was performed via DFT B3LYP/6-31(+)G**, and their electronic structures were also investigated. The geometries of the singlet and triplet states were initially optimized by density functional theory (DFT) and the configuration interaction singles (CIS) B3LYP/3-21(+)G** level. An additional calculation was performed for the triplet state using the ground-state geometry. The possible photochemical dimerization products of compounds 7-9 (a-g) and the intrinsic reaction coordinates (IRCs) of the reactions of compounds 4-6 were calculated theoretically by the DFT/3-21(+)G** method. The configurations (reactant, transition state, product, and reaction pathway) corresponding to the stationary points (minima or saddle points) were determined. The intrinsic reaction coordinates were followed to verify the energy profiles that connect each TS to the appropriate local minimum. The dimeric products expected from the calculations coincided with the dimers produced experimentally.

Differentiation of adrenal adenomas from nonadenomas using CT histogram analysis method: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of computed tomography (CT) histogram analysis method in the differentiation of benign and malignant adrenal masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2007 and June 2008, 94 patients (46 males, 48 females, age range: 30-79 years, mean age: 57.7 years) with 113 adrenal masses (mean diameter: 3.03 cm, range: 1.07-8.02 cm) were prospectively evaluated. These included 66 adenomas, 45 metastases and 2 pheochromocytomas. Histogram analysis method was performed using a circular region of interest (ROI) and mean attenuation, total number of pixels, number of negative pixels and subsequent percentage of negative pixels were detected on both unenhanced and delayed contrast-enhanced CT images for each adrenal mass. A mean attenuation threshold of 10Hounsfield unit (HU) for unenhanced CT and 5% and 10% negative pixel thresholds for both unenhanced and delayed contrast-enhanced CT were calculated by a consensus of at least two reviewers and the correlation between mean attenuation and percentage of negative pixels was determined. Final diagnoses were based on imaging follow-up of minimum 6 months, biopsy, surgery and adrenal washout study. RESULTS: 51 of 66 adenomas (77.3%) showed attenuation values of < or =10HU and 15 (22.7%) adenomas showed more than 10HU on unenhanced CT. All of these adenomas contained negative pixels on unenhanced CT. Eight of 66 (12.1%) adenomas showed a mean attenuation value of < or =10HU on delayed contrast-enhanced scans and 45 adenomas (68.2%) persisted on containing negative pixels. All metastases had an attenuation value of greater than 10HU on unenhanced CT images. 21 of 45 (46.6%) metastases contained negative pixels on unenhanced images but only seven metastases (15.5%) had negative pixels on delayed contrast-enhanced images. Two pheochromocytomas had negative pixels on both unenhanced and delayed contrast-enhanced CT images. Increase in the percentage of negative pixels yielded high correlation with mean attenuation decreases, both on unenhanced and delayed contrast-enhanced CT. Our sensitivity was 90.9% for the 10% negative pixel percentage threshold compared to 77.2% sensitivity for < or =10HU mean attenuation threshold for unenhanced CT. Both methods gave a 100% specificity for the diagnosis of adenoma. We also obtained a 37.9% sensitivity for 5% negative pixel threshold and a slightly lower sensitivity of 28.8% for 10% negative pixel threshold compared to the 12.1% sensitivity of < or =10HU mean attenuation threshold while maintaining 100% specificity for contrast-enhanced CT. CONCLUSION: The CT histogram analysis is a simple and easily applicable method which provides higher sensitivity than the commonly used 10HU threshold mean attenuation method of unenhanced CT and can replace it for the diagnosis of an adenoma. But with contrast-enhanced CT, although 100% specificity is being maintained, the sensitivities obtained are very poor for each method and is therefore likely to limit CT histogram analysis to be used as a clinically useful adjunct in the diagnosis of adenoma.

Amperometric cholesterol biosensors based on the electropolymerization of pyrrole and aniline in sulphuric Acid for the determination of cholesterol in serum.

A new amperometric cholesterol biosensor was prepared by immobilizing cholesterol oxidase by a glutaraldehyde crosslinking procedure on polypyrrole-polyaniline (ppy-pani) composite film on the surface of a platinum electrode. In order to prepare a biosensor for the determination of cholesterol, electropolymerization of pyrrole and aniline on Pt surface was performed with an electrochemical cell containing pyrrole and aniline in sulphuric acid by cyclic voltammetry between 0.0 and 0,7 V (vs.Ag/AgCl) at a scan rate of 50 mV upon Pt electrode. The amperometric determination is based on the electrochemical detection of H(2)O(2), which is generated in enzymatic reaction of cholesterol. The cholesterol determined by the oxidation of enzymatically generated H(2)O(2) at 0.7 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The optimized cholesterol oxidase biosensor displayed linear working range and a response time of 300 s. The effects of pH and temperature were investigated and optimum parameters were found to be 7.0, 25 degrees C, respectively. In addition to this, the stability and reproducibility of biosensor were tried. Operational stability of the proposed cholesterol biosensor was obtained by periodical measurements of the biosensor response. Biosensor at optimum activity conditions was used in 30 activity assays in one day to determine the operational stability. The results show that 82% of the response current was retained after 30 activity assays. The electrode was stored in a refrigerator at 4 degrees C after the measurements. The storage stability of the biosensor was determined by performing activity assays within 23 days. The results demonstrate that 60% of the response current was retained after 23 days. Preparing biosensor is used for the analysis of cholesterol in serum.

Preparation of a polypyrrole-polyvinylsulphonate composite film biosensor for determination of cholesterol based on entrapment of cholesterol oxidase.

In this paper, a novel amperometric cholesterol biosensor with immobilization of cholesterol oxidase on electrochemically polymerized polypyrrole-polyvinylsulphonate (PPy-PVS) films has been accomplished via the entrapment technique on the surface of a platinum electrode. Electropolymerization of pyrrole and polyvinylsulphonate on the Pt surface was carried out by cyclic voltammetry between -1.0 and +2.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) at a scan rate of 100 mV upon the Pt electrode with an electrochemical cell containing pyrrole and polyvinylsulphonate. The amperometric determination is based on the electrochemical detection of H(2)O(2) generated in the enzymatic reaction of cholesterol. Determination of cholesterol was carried out by the oxidation of enzymatically produced H(2)O(2) at 0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The effects of pH and temperature were investigated and optimum parameters were found to be 7.25 and 35 °C, respectively. The storage stability and operational stability of the enzyme electrode were also studied. The results show that 32% of the response current was retained after 19 activity assays. The prepared cholesterol biosensor retained 43% of initial activity after 45 days when stored in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution at 4 °C.