Grain protein function prediction based on self-attention mechanism and bidirectional LSTM.

With the development of genome sequencing technology, using computing technology to predict grain protein function has become one of the important tasks of bioinformatics. The protein data of four grains, soybean, maize, indica and japonica are selected in this experimental dataset. In this paper, a novel neural network algorithm Chemical-SA-BiLSTM is proposed for grain protein function prediction. The Chemical-SA-BiLSTM algorithm fuses the chemical properties of proteins on the basis of amino acid sequences, and combines the self-attention mechanism with the bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory network. The experimental results show that the Chemical-SA-BiLSTM algorithm is superior to other classical neural network algorithms, and can more accurately predict the protein function, which proves the effectiveness of the Chemical-SA-BiLSTM algorithm in the prediction of grain protein function. The source code of our method is available at https://github.com/HwaTong/Chemical-SA-BiLSTM.

Serum polyunsaturated fatty acids and hearing threshold shifts in adults in the United States: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Few studies have evaluated the association between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and hearing levels. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum PUFAs and hearing threshold shifts in US adults. Methods: We investigated 913 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate associations between PUFA and hearing threshold shifts. Results: Overall, 11 serum PUFAs were inversely associated with low-frequency thresholds, especially in men, and were positively related to high-frequency thresholds, particularly in the 40-59 years old cohort. Furthermore, some serum PUFAs were positively associated with both hearing threshold subgroups in women. Conclusion: Some PUFAs tend to be beneficial for low-frequency hearing status and detrimental to the high-frequency hearing threshold. The male sex may play a protective role in this association, while the female sex and middle age may be detrimental in the effect of PUFAs on hearing function.

Exploring the association of organochlorine pesticides exposure and hearing impairment in United States adults.

Hearing loss (HL) is a highly prevalent public health concern. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are widely used environmental pollutants harmful to human health. Studies investigating the effects of OCPs exposure on the auditory system in the general population are rare. To explore the association between OCPs exposure and HL in adults, 366 adults aged 20-69 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2003-2004) were investigated. HL was defined as a pure-tone average (PTA) ≥ 20 dB in the better ear. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the association of four selected serum OCPs with PTAs and the risk of HL. In participants aged < 60 years, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p, p'-DDE) exposure was positively associated with low- and speech-frequency PTAs, and with low-frequency HL, respectively. Risk of HL increased in the highest tertile compared with the lowest tertile of serum HCB and p, p'-DDE (odds ratio [OR]: 4.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97-19.80; OR: 16.66, 95% CI: 2.64-105.09, respectively). In this study of US adults aged < 60 years, HCB and p, p'-DDE exposure was positively associated with HL. HCB and p, p'-DDE may be potential risk factors for HL.

Exploring the Association of Leukocyte Telomere Length and Hearing Threshold Shifts of Adults in the United States.

Background: Although telomere length has a significant relationship with various age-related diseases, studies on its relationship with hearing status in adults are limited and equivocal. This study investigated the associations between mean telomere length (MTL) and low-, speech-, and high-frequency hearing threshold shifts of adults in the United States. Methods: A total of 2,027 adults, aged 20-69 years, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES, 1999-2002) were included in the analytic sample. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction method was used for the MTL assay, and MTL was expressed using the telomere-to-single copy gene (T/S) ratio. Hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone average (PTA) for the better ear at ≥ 20 dB HL at frequencies 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 Hz. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses and smooth curve fittings were conducted to evaluate the correlation between MTL and low-, speech-, and high-frequency hearing levels. Results: The mean age of the participants was 40.60 ± 12.76 years, including 952 men (weighted, 48.67%) and 303 (weighted, 12.88%) participants with hearing loss. After adjusting for potential confounders in the multivariate linear regression model, the relationship between MTL and hearing thresholds was not statistically significant. Smooth curve fittings indicated a non-linear relationship between MTL and high-frequency PTA hearing threshold shifts. MTL was inversely related to high-frequency PTA to the turning point (T/S ratio = 0.82) (adjusted ß-21.45, 95% CI -37.28, -5.62; P = 0.008). When the T/S ratio exceeded0.82, MTL was not associated with high-frequency PTA (adjusted ß0.18, 95% CI -2.21, 2.57; P = 0.8809). Conclusion: Our findings revealed that MTL was associated with high-frequency PTA hearing threshold shifts of adults in the United States in a non-linear manner.

Compound heterozygosity for novel variations of the NHLRC1 Gene in a family with Lafora disease.

PURPOSE: NHLRC1 gene mutations are present in a varied proportion of patients with Lafora disease (LD). Compound heterozygosity for novel variations of the gene has been reported in progressive Lafora myoclonic epilepsy of Lafora pedigree. METHODS: The clinical data of the cases were collected for diagnosis, and the genetic spectrum of the family was confirmed. For molecular diagnosis, whole-exome sequencing (WES) of the pedigree was performed. RESULTS: A novel biallelic compound heterozygous c.333dupC chr6-18122504 (p.(Gly112ArgfsTer44)) and c.612dupT chr6-18122225 (p.(Gly205Trpfs*29)) mutation in the NHLRC1 gene was identified in our progressive myoclonic epilepsy of Lafora pedigree. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic analysis was useful for the diagnosis of LD. Genetic analysis is recommended for patients and close relatives, and tissue biopsy is an alternative.

Predicting the function of rice proteins through Multi-instance Multi-label Learning based on multiple features fusion.

There are a large number of unannotated proteins with unknown functions in rice, which are difficult to be verified by biological experiments. Therefore, computational method is one of the mainstream methods for rice proteins function prediction. Two representative rice proteins, indica protein and japonica protein, are selected as the experimental dataset. In this paper, two feature extraction methods (the residue couple model method and the pseudo amino acid composition method) and the Principal Component Analysis method are combined to design protein descriptive features. Moreover, based on the state-of-the-art MIML algorithm EnMIMLNN, a novel MIML learning framework MK-EnMIMLNN is proposed. And the MK-EnMIMLNN algorithm is designed by learning multiple kernel fusion function neural network. The experimental results show that the hybrid feature extraction method is better than the single feature extraction method. More importantly, the MK-EnMIMLNN algorithm is superior to most classic MIML learning algorithms, which proves the effectiveness of the MK-EnMIMLNN algorithm in rice proteins function prediction.

The TLR4 mediated inflammatory signal pathway might be involved in drug resistance in drug-resistant epileptic rats.

Background Recent data suggested that inflammatory responses are involved in the acute or chronic phase of drug-resistant epilepsy. The aim of this study was to examine the signal pathway of Toll-like receptors (TLR) 4 mediated drug resistance in refractory epileptic rats. Methods Lithium chloride and pilocarpine were used to establish a drug-resistant epilepsy rat model. Recombinant adenovirus was used to construct a TLR4 deficient drug-resistant epileptic rat model. The expression of TLR4, p-gp, interleukin (IL)-1ß, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were determined by Western blot and Immunohistochemical analysis. Results P-gp, TLR4, NF-κB, IL-1ß, TNF-α were significantly higher in the drug-resistant epileptic rats than in the epileptic rats (all P < 0.05). Contrary, this process was reversed in TLR4-deficient epileptic rats. The expression levels of P-gp, TLR4, NF-κB, IL-1ß, and TNF-α expression were significantly inhibited in TLR4-deficient rats, suggesting that TLR4, as an important upstream factor, might significantly affect the expression levels of P-gp, NF-κB, IL-1ß, and TNF-α (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Our study found the expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB, IL-1ß, TNF-α which were related with inflammatory signal pathway changed in drug resistant epileptic rats. Our results suggest that TLR4, as an upstream regulator, could activate the downstream NF-κB, regulate inflammatory factors IL-1ß, TNF-α, and other cytokines, and affect the expression level of P-gp in drug resistant epileptic rats. We speculate TLR4 related inflammatory signal pathway might take part in the emergence of epilepsy resistance, which is important in drug resistance.

TMEM60 Promotes the Proliferation and Migration and Inhibits the Apoptosis of Glioma through Modulating AKT Signaling.

Glioma is a highly fatal malignancy with aggressive proliferation, migration, and invasion metastasis due to aberrant genetic regulation. This work aimed to determine the function of transmembrane protein 60 (TMEM60) during glioma development. The level of TMEM60 in glioma tissues and normal tissues and its correlation with glioma prognosis were checked in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The levels of TMEM60 in glioma cell lines and normal astrocytes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting assay. TMEM60 knockdown and overexpression were conducted, followed by detection of cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. CCK-8 and colony formation assay were adopted to detect cell viability proliferation. Transwell assay was performed to measure cell migration and invasion. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. The alternation of key proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was measured by western blotting. TMEM60 expression was significantly higher in glioma tissues than that in the healthy control and was correlated with poor overall survival of patients. The protein and mRNA levels of TMEM60 were both elevated in glioma cell lines in comparison with the normal cell lines. Elevated level of TMEM60 led to enhanced proliferation, migration, and invasion and suppressed cell apoptosis. TMEM60 promoted the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling. Our data suggested that TMEM60 plays an oncogenic role in glioma progression via activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Multi-swarm UPSO algorithm based on seed strategy for atomic clusters structure optimization.

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is prone to get trapped in local optima and insufficient information exchange among particles. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a Multi-swarm Unified Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm based on Seed Strategy (SS-DMS-UPSO) to optimize the atomic clusters structure. In this algorithm, the population is divided into some sub-populations evolving randomly and evenly, and each sub-population uses UPSO algorithm with different unification factors to evolve independently in parallel. After a certain number of independent evolution, the particles of all sub-populations are merged into a new population, and the population is again randomly divided into average sub-populations. Iterate the algorithm repeatedly in this way. And finally the global best particle can be obtained. The experimental results show that the SS-DMS-UPSO algorithm can search for the optimal structure or extremely similar optimal structure for atomic clusters with atomic numbers between 2 and 31. For atomic clusters with atomic numbers between 32 and 35, the algorithm can find its approximate optimal structure. Compared with other algorithms, the difference between the lowest energy value and the ideal energy value obtained by the SS-DMS-UPSO algorithm is much smaller. It means that its optimal structure of the atomic clusters is closer to the stable structure, and the algorithm is more stable, which proves the effectiveness of the SS-DMS-UPSO algorithm.

A novel ABCD1 G1202A mutation in a Chinese patient with pure adrenomyeloneuropathy and literature review.

Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) is a kind of varied disease caused by ABCD1 gene mutation and characterized by very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA) accumulation. It is diagnosed by clinical features, high VLCFAs levels and ABCD1 gene mutation. AMN is rarely reported in Chinese population. In this study, we report the genetic and clinical features of a Chinese pure AMN patient. Meanwhile, we conducted a literature review of AMN cases to summarize the characteristics of AMN. We report a rare Chinese pure AMN case with slowly progressive weakness of the lower extremities, caused by a novel c.1202G > A mutation in ABCD1 gene. The literature review indicates that spastic paraplegia is the mainly clinical manifestation in patients with AMN. VLCFAs and ABCD1 gene test should be performed in patients with spastic paraplegia of the lower limbs to diagnose AMN.

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and its comparison with influenza pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES: To recognise clinical features of COVID-19 pneumonia and its differences from influenza pneumonia. METHODS: 246 patients were enrolled into COVID-19 cohort and 120 patients into influenza cohort. All data were collected and analysed retrospectively. The variables under focus included demographic, epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and imaging characteristics of COVID-19 pneumonia and comparison were made with influenza pneumonia. RESULTS: The COVID-19 cohort included 53.25% female and 46.75% male. Their main symptom was fever; while 28.05% of patients had only initially fever; 21.54% of them remained feverless. After excluding prior kidney diseases, some patients showed abnormal urinalysis (32.11%), elevated blood creatinine (15.04%) and blood urea nitrogen (19.11%). Typical CT features included ground glass opacity, consolidation and band opacity, which could present as characteristic 'bat wing sign'. Our data showed that male, aged 65 or above, smoking, with comorbidities including diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney diseases, would experience more severe COVID-19 pneumonia. In comparison, COVID-19 cohort showed significantly higher incidence of clustering; the influenza cohort showed higher rate of fever. Both cohorts showed reduced lymphocyte numbers; however, 6 influenza patients showed lymphocytes increased, which was statistical significant compared with COVID-19 cohort. Also, influenza cohort displayed higher white blood cell counts and PCT values. CONCLUSION: There is no significant gender difference in the incidence of COVID-19 pneumonia. It predominantly affects the lung as well as the kidney. Age, smoking and comorbidities could contribute to disease severity. Although COVID-19 is more infectious, the rate of secondary bacterial infection is lower than influenza.

Multichannel Luminescence Properties of Mixed-Valent Eu2+/Eu3+ Coactivated SrAl3BO7 Nanocrystalline Phosphors for Near-UV LEDs.

Up to now, orchestrating the coexistence of Eu2+ and Eu3+ activators in a single host lattice has been an extremely difficult task, especially for the appearance of the characteristic emission of Eu2+ and Eu3+ in order to generate white light. Nevertheless, here we demonstrate a new Eu2+/Eu3+ coactivated SrAl3BO7 nanocrystalline phosphor with abundant and excellent multichannel luminescence properties. A series of Eu2+/Eu3+ coactivated SrAl3BO7 nanocrystalline phosphors were prepared through a Pechini-type sol-gel method followed by a reduction process. With excitation of UV/NUV light, the prepared SrAl3BO7:Eu2+,Eu3+ phosphors show not only the characteristic f-f transitions of Eu3+ ion (5DJ → 7FJ,J', J, J' = 0-3), but also the 5d → 4f transitions of Eu2+ ion with comparable intensity from 400 to 700 nm in the whole visible spectral region. The luminescence color of the SrAl3BO7:Eu2+,Eu3+ phosphor can be tuned from blue, blue-green, white, and orange to orange-red by changing the excitation wavelength, the overall doping concentration of europium ions (Eu2+, Eu3+), and the relative ratio of Eu2+ to Eu3+ ions to some extent. A single-phase white-light emission has been realized in SrAl3BO7:Eu2+,Eu3+ phosphor. The obtained SrAl3BO7:Eu2+,Eu3+ phosphor has potential application in the area of NUV white-light-emitting diodes.

Risk factors for seizure reoccurrence after withdrawal from antiepileptic drugs in individuals who have been seizure-free for over 2 years.

PURPOSE: To observe risk factors for recurrence after withdrawal from antiepileptic drugs. METHODS: We assessed 1282 patients with a definite diagnosis of epilepsy. RESULTS: In total, 292 patients between 14 and 80 years of age were grouped according to risk factors for recurrence. Of these individuals, 119 discontinued AED(s) and relapsed. The relapse rate was 34.4 per 100 person-years. We used a Cox regression for multivariate analysis to investigate the influence of the following on seizure recurrence: receiving more than one type of AED (HR = 2.53, 95% CI 1.24-5.16) and more than 6 months prior to initiation of AED treatment (HR 1.47, 95% CI = 1.004-2.15). CONCLUSIONS: Although the decision to discontinue AED treatment necessitates an individual evaluation of each patient, our study suggests that there may be a high risk of recurrence in individuals who: were receiving more than one AEDs and had initiated their AED treatment more than 6 months after the initial appearance of epilepsy symptoms.

Host-Sensitized and Tunable Luminescence of GdNbO4:Ln3+ (Ln3+ = Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+) Nanocrystalline Phosphors with Abundant Color.

Up to now, GdNbO4 has always been regarded as an essentially inert material in the visible region with excitation of UV light and electron beams. Nevertheless, here we demonstrate a new recreating blue emission of GdNbO4 nanocrystalline phosphors with a quantum efficiency of 41.6% and host sensitized luminescence in GdNbO4:Ln3+ (Ln3+ = Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+) nanocrystalline phosphors with abundant color in response to UV light and electron beams. The GdNbO4 and GdNbO4:Ln3+ (Ln3+ = Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+) nanocrystalline phosphors were synthesized by a Pechini-type sol-gel process. With excitation of UV light and low-voltage electron beams, the obtained GdNbO4 nanocrystalline phosphor presents a strong blue luminescence from 280 to 650 nm centered around 440 nm, and the GdNbO4:Ln3+ nanocrystalline phosphors show both host emission and respective emission lines derived from the characterize f-f transitions of the doping Eu3+, Tb3+, and Tm3+ ions. The luminescence color of GdNbO4:Ln3+ nanocrystalline phosphors can be tuned from blue to green, red, blue-green, orange, pinkish, white, etc. by varying the doping species, concentration, and relative ratio of the codoping rare earth ions in GdNbO4 host lattice. A single-phase white-light-emission has been realized in Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+ triply doped GdNbO4 nanocrystalline phosphors. The luminescence properties and mechanisms of GdNbO4 and GdNbO4:Ln3+ (Ln3+ = Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+) are updated.

Etiologic features and utilization of antiepileptic drugs in people with chronic epilepsy in China: Report from the Epilepsy Cohort of Huashan Hospital (ECoH).

PURPOSE: Chronic epilepsy is estimated to affect more than 2 million people in China. However, data of its clinical characteristics was rarely reported in China. In the present study, we summarized the etiologic features and utilization patterns of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in people with chronic epilepsy in a tertiary medical center in China. METHODS: We prospectively recruited people with chronic epilepsy treated at the Epilepsy Outpatient Clinic of Huashan Hospital during October 2009 to August 2013. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, AED treatment, epilepsy-associated risk factors and medical history, and results of supplementary examinations of each participant were collected retrospectively via an interviewer-administered questionnaire and confirmed by the medical records. RESULTS: Among 554 people with chronic epilepsy, 58.0% of them were male, 66.8% had focal seizure, and 29.2% had symptomatic cause. Developmental anomalies of cerebral structure (16.7%) and cerebral trauma (16.7%) shared the leading cause of symptomatic epilepsy among children with epilepsy. While cerebral trauma (29.1%) and cerebrovascular disorder (36.4%) were the most common causes in groups of adults and elderly. Fifty percent of participants were taking AED monotherapy. Proportions of people with idiopathic, cryptogenic and symptomatic epilepsy treated by multitherapy were 35%, 46% and 45.6%, respectively. Valproic acid (VPA) was the most frequently utilized AED as monotherapy (32.7%) and within multitherapy (62.5%). SIGNIFICANCE: This hospital-based study reported that etiologic features were diverse in different age groups of people with chronic epilepsy. VPA was widely utilized to treat chronic epilepsy in mainland China.

Enhanced brain delivery of lamotrigine with Pluronic(®) P123-based nanocarrier.

BACKGROUND: P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated drug efflux across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an important mechanism underlying poor brain penetration of certain antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Nanomaterials, as drug carriers, can overcome P-gp activity and improve the targeted delivery of AEDs. However, their applications in the delivery of AEDs have not been adequately investigated. The objective of this study was to develop a nano-scale delivery system to improve the solubility and brain penetration of the antiepileptic drug lamotrigine (LTG). METHODS: LTG-loaded Pluronic(®) P123 (P123) polymeric micelles (P123/LTG) were prepared by thin-film hydration, and brain penetration capability of the nanocarrier was evaluated. RESULTS: The mean encapsulating efficiency for the optimized formulation was 98.07%; drug-loading was 5.63%, and particle size was 18.73 nm. The solubility of LTG in P123/LTG can increase to 2.17 mg/mL, making it available as a solution. The in vitro release of LTG from P123LTG presented a sustained-release property. Compared with free LTG, the LTG-incorporated micelles accumulated more in the brain at 0.5, 1, and 4 hours after intravenous administration in rats. Pretreatment with systemic verapamil increased the rapid brain penetration of free LTG but not P123/LTG. Incorporating another P-gp substrate (Rhodamine 123) into P123 micelles also showed higher efficiency in penetrating the BBB in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that P123 micelles have the potential to overcome the activity of P-gp expressed on the BBB and therefore show potential for the targeted delivery of AEDs. Future studies are necessary to further evaluate the appropriateness of the nanocarrier to enhance the efficacy of AEDs.

Randomized-controlled trials of levetiracetam as an adjunctive therapy in epilepsy of multiple seizure types.

This meta-analysis aimed to systematically collect and synthesize the current evidence regarding the efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam (LEV) as an adjunctive therapy for adults and children suffering from idiopathic and secondary epilepsy of multiple seizure types. We selected randomized-controlled trials (RCT) of LEV as an adjunctive therapy in epilepsy according to predefined criteria. Outcome measures included a > or =50% reduction in seizure frequency, seizure freedom, and adverse events. Thirteen RCT were analyzed. Results showed that the efficacy of adjunctive LEV was superior to placebo both in achieving > or =50% reduction in seizure frequency (pooled odds ratio [OR] 3.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.78-4.07, Z=12.46; p<0.00001) and seizure freedom (pooled OR 4.72, 95% CI 2.96-7.54, Z=6.50; p<0.00001). The heterogeneity was mild (chi-squared=12.28, I2=2% in > or =50% reduction in seizure frequency, and chi-squared=0.49, I2=0% in seizure freedom). Subgroup analysis suggested similar effects across different dosages in adults. The incidence of adverse reactions was not significantly different between the LEV group and the placebo group. The adverse events of relatively high incidence in the LEV group included somnolence, agitation, dizziness, asthenia, and infection. Incidence of serious adverse reaction such as rash and white blood cells and platelets decreasing was quite low. Adjunctive therapy with LEV was superior to placebo in reducing the frequency of seizures in patients with partial and idiopathic generalized epilepsy with effect in both adults and children, and demonstrated good tolerance in patients with epilepsy.

Tenidap is neuroprotective in a pilocarpine rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: Tenidap is a liposoluble non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is easily distributed in the central nervous system and also inhibits the production and activity of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cytokines in vitro. This study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of tenidap in a pilocarpine rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHODS: Tenidap was administered daily at 10 mg/kg for 10 days following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) in male Wistar rats after which prolonged generalized seizures resulted in TLE. After tenidap treatment, spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs) were recorded by video monitoring (for 7 hours per day for 14 days). The frequency and severity of the SRSs were observed. Histological and immunocytochemical analyses were used to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of tenidap and detect COX-2 expression, which may be associated with neuronal death. RESULTS: There were 46.88 ± 10.70 survival neurons in tenidap-SE group, while there were 27.60 ± 5.18 survival neurons in saline-SE group at -2.4 mm field in the CA3 area. There were 37.75 ± 8.78 survival neurons in tenidap-SE group, while there were 33.40 ± 8.14 survival neurons in saline-SE group at -2.4 mm field in the CA1 area. Tenidap treatment significantly reduced neuronal damage in the CA3 area (P < 0.05) and slightly reduced damage in the CA1 area. Tenidap markedly inhibited COX-2 expression in the hippocampus, especially in the CA3 area. CONCLUSION: Tenidap conferred neuroprotection to the CA3 area in a pilocarpine-induced rat model of TLE by inhibiting COX-2 expression.

Endoscopic sinus surgery for treatment of kartagener syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND: KARTAGENER SYNDROME (KS) IS A RARE CONGENITAL DISEASE CHARACTERISED BY A CLINICAL TRIAD OF SYMPTOMS: situs inversus, chronic rhinosinusitis, and bronchiectasis. Although congenital ciliary defect is recognised as the main cause of this syndrome, it remains difficult to treat the associated airway infection. CASE REPORT: A 17-year-old female patient presented with repeated refractory airway infection. She also had bronchiectasis and situs inversus. Electron microscopic evaluation of her nasal mucosa revealed ciliary defect and confirmed the diagnosis of KS. She underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) followed by long-term postoperative debridement of the sinonasal cavity. This treatment reduced chronic rhinosinusitis and protected against subsequent airway infection in a 7-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: FESS is effective for relieving both chronic rhinosinusitis and lung infection of KS in the long term.

Evaluation of clinical aspects and quality of life as risk factors for depression in patients with epilepsy.

The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical aspects and quality of life (QOL) as risk factors for depression in patients with epilepsy. One hundred and forty outpatients with a diagnosis of epilepsy who were attending our epilepsy center participated. Patients anonymously filled out a questionnaire with clinical data related to epilepsy. Depression level was evaluated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HAMD-17), and quality of life was evaluated by the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31). Thirty-six patients with epilepsy suffered from depression (25.7%). Complex partial seizures (OR=0.112) and number of seizure types (OR=3.773) were found to be clinical risk factors for depression. Low scores for seizure worry (OR=0.947) and social function (OR=0.947) on the QOLIE-31 increased the probability of depression in patients with epilepsy.