A Metabolomic and HPLC-MS/MS Analysis of the Foliar Phenolics, Flavonoids and Coumarins of the Fraxinus Species Resistant and Susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer.

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, Fairmaire, an Asian invasive alien buprestid has devastated tens of millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. Foliar phytochemicals of the genus Fraxinus (Oleaceae): Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Green ash), F. americana (White ash), F. profunda (Bush) Bush. (Pumpkin ash), F. quadrangulata Michx. (Blue ash), F. nigra Marsh. (Black ash) and F. mandshurica (Manchurian ash) were investigated using HPLC-MS/MS and untargeted metabolomics. HPLC-MS/MS help identified 26 compounds, including phenolics, flavonoids and coumarins in varying amounts. Hydroxycoumarins, esculetin, esculin, fraxetin, fraxin, fraxidin and scopoletin were isolated from blue, black and Manchurian ashes. High-throughput metabolomics revealed 35 metabolites, including terpenes, secoiridoids and lignans. Metabolomic profiling indicated several upregulated putative compounds from Manchurian ash, especially fraxinol, ligstroside, oleuropin, matairesinol, pinoresinol glucoside, 8-hydroxypinoresinol-4-glucoside, verbenalin, hydroxytyrosol-1-O-glucoside, totarol and ar-artemisene. Further, dicyclomine, aphidicolin, parthenolide, famciclovir, ar-turmerone and myriocin were identified upregulated in blue ash. Principal component analysis demonstrated a clear separation between Manchurian and blue ashes from black, green, white and pumpkin ashes. The presence of defensive compounds upregulated in Manchurian ash, suggests their potential role in providing constitutive resistance to EAB, and reflects its co-evolutionary history with A. planipennis, where they appear to coexist in their native habitats.

Antioxidant Activity of the Lignins Derived from Fluidized-Bed Fast Pyrolysis.

A challenge in recent years has been the rational use of forest and agriculture residues for the production of bio-fuel, biochemical, and other bioproducts. In this study, potentially useful compounds from pyrolytic lignins were identified by HPLC-MS/MS and untargeted metabolomics. The metabolites identified were 2-(4-allyl-2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-propanol, benzyl benzoate, fisetinidol, phenyllactic acid, 2-phenylpropionic acid, 6,3'-dimethoxyflavone, and vanillin. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (DPPH), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and total phenolics content (TPC) per gram of pyrolytic lignin ranged from 14 to 503 mg ascorbic acid equivalents, 35 to 277 mg trolox equivalents, and 0.42 to 50 mg gallic acid equivalents, respectively. A very significant correlation was observed between the DPPH and TPC (r = 0.8663, p ≤ 0.0001), TEAC and TPC (r = 0.8044, p ≤ 0.0001), and DPPH and TEAC (r = 0.8851, p ≤ 0.0001). The polyphenolic compounds in the pyrolytic lignins which are responsible for radical scavenging activity and antioxidant properties can be readily profiled with HPLC-MS/MS combined with untargeted metabolomics. The results also suggest that DPPH, TEAC, and TPC assays are suitable methods for the measurement of antioxidant activity in a variety of pyrolytic lignins. These data show that the pyrolytic lignins can be considered as promising sources of natural antioxidants and value-added chemicals.

Efficacy of Combination Therapies for Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a hepatocellular disorder thought to be caused by an immune system that cannot tolerate autoantigens specific to hepatocytes. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of using corticosteroids (prednisolone and azathioprine) as a combination therapy in treating AIH. This study aims to synthesize and analyze existing evidence to inform clinical practices concerning the overall clinical efficacy of this treatment approach in managing AIH. A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple online databases and search engines, including PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Medline, and Embase. RevMan 5.4 software was used for meta-analysis, with forest plots created for each outcome. Thirteen studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The results indicate that the combination of prednisolone and azathioprine for treating AIH leads to less recurrence and better disease control.

Power of narrative: a case study about documenting private insightful experiences while dealing with pain and associated disability.

Objective: People adjusting to living with a chronic disability, such as chronic pain, seek support and resources from societal systems, including health systems, to help them cope with this reality. This case study describes the use of a digital health platform designed to help in that quest. Method: MyHealthMyRecord (MHMR), is being developed to record, register and curate personal private experiences of a chronic condition. MHMR allows users to record and log short (30-90s) personal and private audio-videos of their accommodation-seeking journey in a way that can be encrypted, registered, curated and shared privately. This case study describes the use of a prototype version of the platform by a participant co-designer who experienced a sudden onset of a chronic pain condition, of undetermined origin. System use began three months after the onset of the condition and just after being discharged from several months of hospitalization without any definitive diagnosis. Result: During a three-month period, 65 short unstructured contributions were authored and logged. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of that content. The clips used various communication styles that documented experiences, concerns, issues, positive and negative interactions and pain episodes. Using thematic analysis with open coding, three domains (person-facing, accessibility and system-facing) and eight themes (pain, joy, therapy, environmental, recommendations, technical, culture and communication) were identified. Comments about pain, stress, etc., were the most common and occurred in 75% of all videos while technical and therapy/physio related comments were the fewest and occurred in 3 and 9% of the videos, respectively. Conclusion: We conclude that it is possible to create recordings of events, thoughts, reflections and issues on different aspects affecting an individual's health and well-being impact, including effects of the chronic condition as well as tangential outcomes such as accessibility (or lack of it), using MHMR over a longer period of time. The next steps will be to develop functionality to annotate the recordings, automatically analyze and summarize collections of recordings to make them consumable, useful and understandable to the individual and others, and then to share those analyses and summaries with others. In addition, evaluate this functionality longitudinally with more users.

Age Trends And State Disparities In Firearm-Related Suicide In The US, 1999-2020.

Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, we analyzed trends in firearm suicide across the life course, comparing age-related trends over time (2015-20 versus 1999-2014) and stratified by differences in state firearm policy environments. Overall, we found stable trends in firearm suicide rates across the life course, although with higher overall rates across all age groups in 2015-20 versus in 1999-2014. Ages 14-16 was the only age group with an accelerating life-course trend in firearm suicide rates in 2015-20 versus in 1999-2014. The state policy environment was associated with significant differences in firearm suicide, with an average of 4.62 more deaths per 100,000 people per year in states with less- versus more-strict environments. This was in contrast to nonfirearm suicides, for which we observed no consistent differences between states. The largest overall differences in firearm suicide between states occurred in adulthood through middle age. These findings can inform further research on health care-based approaches to reducing firearm suicide, such as health care screening for firearm ownership, screening for suicide risk among firearm owners, and motivational interviewing to promote safe firearm storage.

Extended reality for biomedicine.

Extended reality (XR) refers to an umbrella of methods that allows users to be immersed in a three-dimensional (3D) or a 4D (spatial + temporal) virtual environment to different extents, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). While VR allows a user to be fully immersed in a virtual environment, AR and MR overlay virtual objects over the real physical world. The immersion and interaction of XR provide unparalleled opportunities to extend our world beyond conventional lifestyles. While XR has extensive applications in fields such as entertainment and education, its numerous applications in biomedicine create transformative opportunities in both fundamental research and healthcare. This Primer outlines XR technology from instrumentation to software computation methods, delineating the biomedical applications that have been advanced by state-of-the-art techniques. We further describe the technical advances overcoming current limitations in XR and its applications, providing an entry point for professionals and trainees to thrive in this emerging field.

4D Light-sheet imaging and interactive analysis of cardiac contractility in zebrafish larvae.

Despite ongoing efforts in cardiovascular research, the acquisition of high-resolution and high-speed images for the purpose of assessing cardiac contraction remains challenging. Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) offers superior spatiotemporal resolution and minimal photodamage, providing an indispensable opportunity for the in vivo study of cardiac micro-structure and contractile function in zebrafish larvae. To track the myocardial architecture and contractility, we have developed an imaging strategy ranging from LSFM system construction, retrospective synchronization, single cell tracking, to user-directed virtual reality (VR) analysis. Our system enables the four-dimensional (4D) investigation of individual cardiomyocytes across the entire atrium and ventricle during multiple cardiac cycles in a zebrafish larva at the cellular resolution. To enhance the throughput of our model reconstruction and assessment, we have developed a parallel computing-assisted algorithm for 4D synchronization, resulting in a nearly tenfold enhancement of reconstruction efficiency. The machine learning-based nuclei segmentation and VR-based interaction further allow us to quantify cellular dynamics in the myocardium from end-systole to end-diastole. Collectively, our strategy facilitates noninvasive cardiac imaging and user-directed data interpretation with improved efficiency and accuracy, holding great promise to characterize functional changes and regional mechanics at the single cell level during cardiac development and regeneration.

Virtual Reality for Interactive Medical Analysis.

Molecular imaging along with 3-dimensional (3-D) or 4-D (3-D spatial + 1-D temporal) visualization is widely used in clinical diagnosis and surgical planning. However, the pre-defined perspective and confined manipulation limit the in-depth exploration and analysis in 3-D / 4-D. To overcome this obstacle, we utilized virtual reality (VR) to interact with CT images of the cardiopulmonary system in a 3-D immersive environment. We implemented manipulative functionalities into the VR environment that altered the cardiopulmonary models to interactively generate new data analysis perspectives. We successfully sliced a CT cardiac model showing in-depth surface visualizations of the ventricles and atria. Our customized framework enables enhanced data interpretation interactivity of CT images and establishes a user-directed manipulative VR platform derived from imaging results for remote medical practices including training, education, and investigation.

Glutathione transferase P1 interacts strongly with the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane.

GSH transferases (GSTs) are a superfamily of proteins best known for detoxifying harmful electrophilic compounds by catalyzing their conjugation with GSH. GSTP1 is the most prevalent and widely distributed GST in human tissues, helping to detoxify a diverse array of carcinogens and drugs. In contrast with its protective role, overexpression of GSTP1 in a variety of malignancies is associated with a poor prognosis due to failure of chemotherapy. Although GSTP1 is classified as a cytosolic GST, we discovered previously that it is associated with the plasma membrane of the small cell lung cancer cell lines, H69 and H69AR. In the current study, endogenous and overexpressed GSTP1 in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 and MCF-7 cell lines, respectively, were found also to associate with the plasma membrane, indicating that this interaction is not unique to H69 and H69AR cells. GSTP1 immunostaining in HEK293 and MCF7-GSTP1 cells only occurred under permeabilized conditions, suggesting that GSTP1 is associated with the intracellular surface of the plasma membrane. Cell surface biotinylation studies confirmed this finding. Immunogold electron microscopy revealed the presence of GSTP1 in close proximity to the plasma membrane. GSTP1 was not dissociated from plasma membrane sheets by high salt [potassium iodide (KI; 1 M) or KI/EDTA (1 M/2 mM)] or alkaline Na(2)CO(3) (100 mM, pH 11.4), conditions known to strip peripherally associated membrane proteins. Thus, we report for the first time that GSTP1 is associated with the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane through a remarkably strong interaction.

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of SLN-Loaded Thermoresponsive Hydrogel System of Topotecan as Biological Macromolecule for Colorectal Delivery.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapeutic drugs cause severe toxicities if administered unprotected, without proper targeting, and controlled release. In this study, we developed topotecan- (TPT-) loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for their chemotherapeutic effect against colorectal cancer. The TPT-SLNs were further incorporated into a thermoresponsive hydrogel system (TRHS) (TPT-SLNs-TRHS) to ensure control release and reduce toxicity of the drug. Microemulsion technique and cold method were, respectively, used to develop TPT-SLNs and TPT-SLNs-TRHS. Particle size, polydispersive index (PDI), and incorporation efficiency (IE) of the TPT-SLNs were determined. Similarly, gelation time, gel strength, and bioadhesive force studies of the TPT-SLNs-TRHS were performed. Additionally, in vitro release and pharmacokinetic and antitumour evaluations of the formulation were done. RESULTS: TPT-SLNs have uniformly distributed particles with mean size in nanorange (174 nm) and IE of ~90%. TPT-SLNs-TRHS demonstrated suitable gelation properties upon administration into the rat's rectum. Moreover, drug release was exhibited in a control manner over an extended period of time for the incorporated TPT. Pharmacokinetic studies showed enhanced bioavailability of the TPT with improved plasma concentration and AUC. Further, it showed significantly enhanced antitumour effect in tumour-bearing mice as compared to the test formulations. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that SLNs incorporated in TRHS could be a potential source of the antitumour drug delivery with better control of the drug release and no toxicity.

A comparison of pulsed ultrasound, radiography and micrometer screw gauge in the measurement of skin thickness.

Comparisons of ultrasonic, radiographic and micrometer methods in the measurement of skin thickness were made in 16 volunteers before and after 1-month's treatment with four clobetasol propionate formulations. Correlations between the methods were highly significant (r = 0.68 to 0.75). Correlations in the females were better than in the males suggesting that measurements in women are more easily made. Percentage reductions in skin thickness after steroid treatment were ranked in an identical order, whichever method was used. Each of the three methods, therefore, was shown to be effective. Ultrasound was the preferred technique but the micrometer screw gauge was shown to be a reasonable alternative.

Surgical stabilization of humeral shaft fractures due to gunshot wounds.

Humeral shaft fractures resulting from gunshot wounds are challenging injuries to treat. The results of surgical stabilization depend upon the appropriate indication and operative techniques. Compression plating, intramedullary fixation, and external fixation are discussed.

Influence of dietary phosphorus on performance of Hy-line W36 hens.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of nonphytate phosphorus (NPP) on hen performance in an environmentally controlled house. In Experiment 1, 21-wk-old Hy-Line W36 hens (n = 1,248) were randomly assigned to 13 dietary treatments (0.1 to 0.7% NPP, at graded increments of 0.05%) for 17 wk. In Experiment 2, 45-wk-old Hy-Line W36 hens (n = 960) were randomly allocated to eight diets in a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement of treatments. Two levels of Ca (3 and 4%) and four levels of NPP (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4%) were fed for 8 wk. Feed consumption (FC), egg production (EP), egg weight (EW), egg specific gravity (ESG), bone density (BD), bone mineral content (BMC), bone breaking strength (BBS), BW and mortality were evaluated to determine performance. Results of Experiment 1 indicated that FC, EP, and BW increased as NPP was increased from 0.1 to 0.7% (77 to 588 mg/hen/d). During Week 12, a sharp decrease in FC and EP was observed in hens fed the most deficient level of 0.1% NPP. Egg weight and ESG decreased linearly (P < 0.05) as dietary NPP was increased from 0.1 to 0.7%. However, after 14 wk, ESG decreased (P < 0.05) in hens fed 0.1% NPP. Bone breaking strength was higher (P < 0.05) in hens fed 0.3 to 0.4% NPP, indicating maximum bone quality. Mortality was higher (P < 0.05) in hens fed 0.01% NPP, followed by hens fed 0.15% NPP. In Experiment 2, a pronounced adverse effect of P deficiency was observed on FC and EP within 2 wk compared with 12 wk in Experiment 1. Reduction of NPP to 0.1% reduced BD, BMC, BBS and increased hen mortality (P < 0.05). Reducing dietary Ca from 4 to 3% decreased ESG (P < 0.05). A wide variation in response time to P deficiency indicated that P requirement varied for different performance criteria with age.

Influence of supplemental phytase on performance of broilers four to six weeks of age.

The influence of dietary phytase on phytate P availability was investigated using Ross x Hubbard male broiler chicks. A randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement of 2 x 3 was used with eight replicates (n = 2,400; 50 chicks per replicate) per treatment. Diets were formulated to contain two levels of nonphytate P (NPP; 0.225 and 0.325%) and three levels of phytase [0, 300, and 600 phytase units (FTU)/kg] with 0.75% Ca. An additional diet with 0.425% NPP and 0.85% Ca was used as a positive control (n = 400). Prior to assigning treatments, all chicks were fed a commercial starter mash adequate in all nutrients until 3 wk of age. Neither performance nor bone strength was significantly influenced by a reduction of NPP to 0.325% and Ca to 0.75% as compared to the positive control. However, when NPP was reduced to 0.225% and Ca to 0.75%, significant negative impacts on body weight, feed consumption, feed efficiency, and bone strength were observed. Phytase significantly increased BW at the lower NPP level but not at the higher NPP level. A significant NPP by phytase interaction occurred in bone criteria and livability. Phytase (300 FTU/kg) had greater influence on bone mineral content, bone density, bone breaking strength, and livability in broilers fed 0.225% NPP than in broilers fed 0.325% NPP. This study indicates that supplementing phytase in grower diets containing reduced levels of NPP and Ca significantly improved performance and bone strength of broilers. In diets containing marginal to deficient levels of either NPP or Ca or both, the addition of microbial phytase at 300 to 600 FTU/kg feed prevents P deficiency symptoms. Increasing phytase levels from 300 to 600 FTU/kg feed provided no additional benefit.

Influence of supplemental lysine, isoleucine, threonine, tryptophan and total sulfur amino acids on egg weight of Hy-line W-36 hens.

Four experiments were conducted to determine whether synthetic lysine, isoleucine, threonine, and tryptophan (LITT) or TSAA supplementation to diets formulated based on lysine improved egg weight (EW) and hen performance. In Experiment 1, diets were formulated with three TSAA levels (0.65,0.72, and 0.81%). These diets were fed with and without adding lysine and isoleucine each at 0.055% and threonine and tryptophan each at 0.022%. Treatments were randomly assigned to 960 Hy-Line W-36 hens in eight replicates per treatment (20 birds/replicate). Inclusion of LITT improved (P < 0.05) EW within 2 wk with no TSAA x LITT interaction. Inclusion of LITT also increased average feed consumption (FC) by 1.4 g/d (P < 0.01). However, no effect (P > 0.05) of LITT was observed on egg production (EP), egg specific gravity (SG), or BW. The EW, EP, and FC increased linearly (P < 0.05) as dietary TSAA increased. The TSAA had no effect on SG or BW. In Experiment 2, supplemental LITT were removed to determine how rapidly hens lose the effect of LITT on performance. Within 2 wk, the effect of LITT on EW was lost. Average EW, EP, and FC of hens fed higher TSAA levels remained higher (P < 0.05) than hens fed 0.65% TSAA. In Experiment 3, all hens were fed a diet containing 0.65% TSAA to determine the time it takes to lose the effect of TSAA supplementation. The TSAA supplementation effect on EW, EP, and FC observed in the previous two experiments was lost within 1 wk. In Experiment 4, hens were again fed diets similar to Experiment 2 to confirm the time required for TSAA supplementation to improve EW. Within 1 wk, hens fed 0.72 or 0.81% TSAA improved (P < 0.05) EW over hens fed 0.65% TSAA. It was concluded that hens fed diets formulated based on lysine were deficient in LITT. Hens responded to the inclusion or removal of supplemental LITT and TSAA within 1 to 2 wk.

Influence of cage density and prior dietary phosphorus level on phosphorus requirement of commercial leghorns.

Two studies were conducted to determine whether cage density and prior dietary nonphytate P (NPP) level affect hens' P requirements. In Experiment 1, hens were housed at three cage densities (300, 400, and 600 cm2 or 46.5, 62.0, and 93.0 inches2/hen) and fed four levels of NPP (0.15, 0.25, 0.35, and 0.40%) for 6 wk to determine the effect of cage density on the P requirement. Egg production (EP), feed consumption (FC), egg weight (EW), and egg specific gravity (ESG) were measured to evaluate performance. Cage density influenced EP within Week 1 (P < 0.01), and during Weeks 5 and 6, there was a cage density x NPP-level interaction (P < 0.05). At 300 cm2, EP was more severely affected by 0.15 and 0.25% NPP than at 400 and 600 cm2. A linear decrease (P < 0.001) in FC was observed because of decreased NPP. Hens at 300 cm2 consumed 4 g less feed/hen per d than hens at 400 cm2. A linear decrease in EW was observed as the NPP level decreased (P < 0.01) from 0.25 to 0.15%, and there was no effect of cage density. Experiment 2 was conducted to determine the effect of prior dietary P levels on time required to create a P deficiency. Hens fed 0.4% NPP were divided into two groups and fed 0.25 and 0.4% NPP for 4 wk. At the end of 4 wk, hens fed 0.25% NPP were further divided into three groups and were fed diets containing 0.09, 0.25, and 0.30% NPP for an additional 6 wk. Hens fed 0.4% NPP were divided into three groups and fed diets containing 0.09, 0.4, and 0.45% NPP. Reduction of NPP from 0.4 and 0.25% to 0.09% reduced EP by 8.5 and 6.8%, respectively, within 3 wk. Prior NPP levels had no influence on time required to create a P deficiency in terms of EP. Reduction of NPP from 0.4 and 0.25% to 0.09% reduced (P < 0.05) FC. A decline in FC occurred 2 wk earlier in hens previously fed 0.4% than those fed 0.25% NPP. This result indicates that hens fed 0.4% NPP became P deficient more quickly than hens fed 0.25%. We concluded that cage density and prior NPP level affect the hen P requirements or time required to create a P deficiency.

Impact of gestational diabetes on lipid profiling and indices of oxidative stress in maternal and cord plasma.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on indices of oxidative stress and lipid profiles in maternal and cord blood samples. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 40 normal pregnant women and 46 women with GDM during the period 1998 through to 1999 at the Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The GDM patients were subdivided into 2 groups: patients receiving insulin treatment (GDM-I, N=19) and patients under control diet (GDM-D, N=27). Plasma a- and y-tocopherols were estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) was analyzed by fluorometry. Serum lipids (low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and total lipids) were determined by enzymatic colorimetry using automated clinical analyzer. RESULTS: The results of lipid profiles in maternal serum showed no significant difference between GDM patients and controls; however, all the lipid constituents except total cholesterol were significantly reduced in the cord blood of GDM patients as compared to control subjects. a-tocopherol levels in the maternal plasma were not significantly different among the 3 groups, whereas, cord plasma a-tocopherol was significantly decreased in both GDM-D and GDM-I. Maternal y-tocopherol was found to be significantly increased in GDM-D and only insignificantly increased in GDM-I, but the cord y-tocopherol showed no appreciable changes. The level of MDA was 3-fold higher in maternal plasma as compared to cord plasma. However, neither the maternal plasma nor cord plasma showed significant differences in MDA levels between GDM patients and normal pregnant women. CONCLUSION: A significant depletion of a-tocopherol in the cord blood of GDM patients is indicative of a possible oxidative stress in their fetuses. Further studies are warranted to examine a wider range of biochemical parameters to evaluate the potential risks of oxidative damage.

Identification of odor-processing genes in the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis.

BACKGROUND: Insects rely on olfaction to locate food, mates, and suitable oviposition sites for successful completion of their life cycle. Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (emerald ash borer) is a serious invasive insect pest that has killed tens of millions of North American ash (Fraxinus spp) trees and threatens the very existence of the genus Fraxinus. Adult A. planipennis are attracted to host volatiles and conspecifics; however, to date no molecular knowledge exists on olfaction in A. planipennis. Hence, we undertook an antennae-specific transcriptomic study to identify the repertoire of odor processing genes involved in A. planipennis olfaction. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We acquired 139,085 Roche/454 GS FLX transcriptomic reads that were assembled into 30,615 high quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs), including 3,249 isotigs and 27,366 non-isotigs (contigs and singletons). Intriguingly, the majority of the A. planipennis antennal transcripts (59.72%) did not show similarity with sequences deposited in the non-redundant database of GenBank, potentially representing novel genes. Functional annotation and KEGG analysis revealed pathways associated with signaling and detoxification. Several odor processing genes (9 odorant binding proteins, 2 odorant receptors, 1 sensory neuron membrane protein and 134 odorant/xenobiotic degradation enzymes, including cytochrome P450s, glutathione-S-transferases; esterases, etc.) putatively involved in olfaction processes were identified. Quantitative PCR of candidate genes in male and female A. planipennis in different developmental stages revealed developmental- and sex-biased expression patterns. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The antennal ESTs derived from A. planipennis constitute a rich molecular resource for the identification of genes potentially involved in the olfaction process of A. planipennis. These findings should help in understanding the processing of antennally-active compounds (e.g. 7-epi-sesquithujene) previously identified in this serious invasive pest.

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy in children: a multicenter experience.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is now being recognized as the standard approach for adrenalectomy for benign lesions in adults. The published experience in children and adolescents has been limited to sporadic small case series. Therefore, we conducted a large multicenter review of children who have undergone laparoscopic adrenalectomy. METHODS: After Institutional Review Board's approval, a retrospective review was conducted on all patients who have undergone laparoscopic adrenalectomy at 12 institutions over the past 10 years. Operative times included unilateral adrenalectomy without concomitant procedures. RESULTS: About 140 patients were identified (70 males [50%]). Laterality included 76 (54.3%) left-sided lesions, 59 (42.1%) right, and 5 (3.6%) bilateral. Mean operative time was 130.2 ± 63.5 minutes (range 43-406 minutes). The most common pathology was neuroblastoma in 39 cases (27.9%), of which 23 (59.0%) had undergone preoperative chemotherapy. Other common pathology included 30 pheochromocytomas (21.4%), 22 ganglioneuromas (15.7%), and 20 adenomas (14.3%). There were 13 conversions to an open operation (9.9%). Most conversions were because of tumor adherence to surrounding organs, and tumor size was not different in converted cases (P=.97). A blood transfusion was required in 2 cases. The only postoperative complication was renal infarction after resection of a large neuroblastoma that required skeletonization of the renal vessels. At a median follow-up of 18 months, there was only one local recurrence, which was in a patient with a pheochromocytoma. CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopic approach can be applied for adrenalectomy in children for a wide variety of conditions regardless of age with a 90% chance of completing the operation without conversion. The risk for significant blood loss or complications is low, and it should be considered the preferred approach for the majority of adrenal lesions in children.