Diagnosis and Etiological Analysis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease by Gastric Filling Ultrasound and GerdQ Scale

Objective. To investigate the diagnosis and etiological analysis of GERD by gastric filling ultrasound and GerdQ scale. Methods. The clinical data of 100 suspected GERD patients were selected for retrospective analysis. The selection time was from June 2016 to June 2019. According to the gold standard (endoscopy) results, they were divided into the gastroesophageal reflux group (positive, n = 62) and the nongastroesophageal reflux group (negative, n = 38); both gastric filling ultrasound and GerdQ scale examination were performed to compare the positive predictive value and negative predictive value, evaluate the abdominal esophageal length, His angle, and GerdQ scale score, and analyze the AUC value, sensitivity, specificity, and Youden index of His angle, length of abdominal esophagus, combined ultrasound parameters, and GerdQ scale in the diagnosis of GERD. Results. 100 patients with suspected GERD were diagnosed as GERD by endoscopy; in a total of 62 cases, the percentage was 62.00%. Among them, 28 cases were caused by the abnormal structure and function of the antireflux barrier, accounting for 45.16%, 18 cases were caused by the reduction of acid clearance of the esophagus, accounting for 29.03%, and 16 cases were caused by the weakening of the esophageal mucosal barrier, accounting for 25.81%. After ultrasound detection, the positive predictive value was 88.71% and the negative predictive value was 81.58%; after the GerdQ scale was tested, the positive predictive value was 71.43% and the negative predictive value was 54.05%. The length of the abdominal esophagus in the gastroesophageal reflux group was lower than that of the nongastroesophageal reflux group, while the scores of His angle and GerdQ scale were higher than those in the gastroesophageal reflux group ( P < 0.05 ). ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC values of His angle, length of abdominal esophagus, combined ultrasound parameters, and GerdQ scale to diagnose GERD were 0.957, 0.861, 0.996, and 0.931 ( P < 0.05 ), their sensitivity was 93.5%, 98.40%, 98.40%, and 90.30%, and the specificity was 92.10%, 63.20%, 100.00%, and 92.10%, respectively. Conclusion. Both gastric filling ultrasound and GerdQ scale have a certain application value in the diagnosis of GERD, but the former has a higher accuracy rate, and it is more common for gastroesophageal reflux caused by abnormal structure and function of antireflux barrier in etiological analysis.

Spermatogenic and Leydig Cells Induced Hyperlipidemia: A Review

Lipids are macromolecules that are very important in cell metabolism. Dietary changes and tendency to consume foods high in fat causes hyperlipidemia that increase the risk of various blood vessel abnormalities to the reproductive system. In men, normal reproductive function is closely related to the presence of the testes with the cells in them and the normal secretion of the hormone testosterone. There have been many studies on male experimental animals using high fat induction which prove that there is high fat in the circulatory system which results in metabolic and physiological disorders in the body, especially enzymes related to reproductive function, decreased secretion of reproductive hormones and abnormal structure of spermatozoa cells and degeneration of Leydig cells. Therefore, this review provides a review of the effect of high fat diets on reproductive cells, especially spermatogenic cells and Leydig cells.

Specific deletion of protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit in Sertoli cells leads to disruption of spermatogenesis

Protein phosphatase 6 (PP6) is a member of the PP2A-like subfamily, which plays significant roles in numerous fundamental biological activities. We found that PPP6C plays important roles in male germ cells recently. Spermatogenesis is supported by the Sertoli cells in the seminiferous epithelium. In this study, we crossed Ppp6cF/F mice with AMH-Cre mice to gain mutant mice with specific depletion of the Ppp6c gene in the Sertoli cells. We discovered that the PPP6C cKO male mice were absolutely infertile and germ cells were largely lost during spermatogenesis. By combing phosphoproteome with bioinformatics analysis, we showed that the phosphorylation status of β-catenin at S552 (a marker of adherens junctions) was significantly upregulated in mutant mice. Abnormal β-catenin accumulation resulted in impaired testicular junction integrity, thus led to abnormal structure and functions of BTB. Taken together, our study reveals a novel function for PPP6C in male germ cell survival and differentiation by regulating the cell-cell communication through dephosphorylating β-catenin at S552.

Atypical Cardiac Location of Melanoma of Unknown Origin

The subject was a 66-year-old woman, suffering from the chest pain evoked by physical activity. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed an abnormal structure, 41 × 29 mm. In MSCT, a hypodensic mobile tissue lesion that was infiltrating the whole thickness of left ventricle was confirmed. PET excluded the existence of other remote lesions. After surgical tumor removal, histopathological differential diagnosis revealed melanoma, myoepithelial cancer, and MPNST “high–grade” sarcoma. A control TTE detected a tumor that was 14 × 10 mm. After immunohistochemical results, immunotherapy with pembrolizumab was used, which resulted in complete tumor resolution. Presently, surgical resection and neoadjuvant targeted immunochemotherapy remain the treatment of choice for clinical stage III/IV melanoma.

Pathological findings in common foxes suffering from cardiorespiratory syndrome

Introduction: Cardiorespiratory syndrome of common foxes has been reported since the 1980s. Although the condition is observed at a number of farms in Europe and America, its etiology still remains elusive. Materials and methods: The study was conducted at a common fox (Vulpes vulpes) farm located in Central Poland, having a total of 500 females and 150 males and an average yearly production of 1,900 cubs. Deaths due to cardiorespiratory syndrome were recorded at the farm in 2012 and 2013, corresponding to 5.32% and 2.14% new young mortality rates, respectively. Postmortem examination included 38 foxes that died in 2013, as well as 12 hearts collected from foxes that died in 2012. Results: Gross pathological findings documented in the examined material were generally typical for the cardiorespiratory syndrome of foxes. However, detailed pathological examination of the hearts revealed a dilatation of the right atrioventricular opening and abnormal structure of the tricuspid valve in all cases. The septal cusp was shortened, thickened, and immobilized due to fusion with the interventricular septum. Conclusions: The fact that tricuspid valve dysplasia was observed on postmortem examination of all animals that died with the symptoms of cardiorespiratory syndrome confirms a potential involvement of congenital heart defects in the etiology of this condition.

Abnormal structure and properties of copper–silver bar billet by cold casting

Copper alloy rod billet with 20% silver was prepared using homemade three-chamber vacuum cold-type vertical continuous casting equipment. The variation rules of the microhardness, eutectic ratio, and size and distribution of silver particles precipitated in the primary α-Cu phase at the end of the continuous casting alloy rod blanks were studied using a microhardness tester and scanning electron microscope. The obtained results show that when the cold-type vertical continuous casting speed is 120 mm·min−1, there is obvious reverse segregation of solute element near the end of the prepared ∅7.8 mm copper–silver alloy rod blank. From the end of the continuous casting alloy rod blank to 5 mm from the end, the Cu–Ag eutectic structure in the copper–silver alloy increases from 13.4 to 15.9%, and the size of Ag particles precipitated in the primary α-Cu phase increases from 100 to 350 nm. The microhardness increases from 56 HV0.05 to 85 HV0.05. When the distance from the end exceeds 5 mm, the microstructure and properties of the continuous casting alloy rod blank are basically stable.

Atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic changes in brachiocephalic arteries as predictors of cerebral and coronary events (literature review)

The review presents the anatomical and physiological features of the system of brachiocephalic arteries (BCA) ofatherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic nature. The prevalence of various types of BCA anomalies and the possible impact on the development of cerebral and coronary events are estimated. The modern diagnostic methods and approaches to the treatment of the problem under study are described. The need to prevent ischemia of the brain and heart in individuals with asymptomatic BCA diseases is discussed, as well as an understanding of the anatomy of the abnormal structure and variability of the BCA course, which is of paramount importance during surgical interventions.

Perinatal hypophosphatasia

Hypophosphatasia, also known as alkaline phosphatase deficiency, is a rare congenital metabolic disorder characterised by early bone and dental defects. First reports on hypophosphatasia date back to 1950s. The prevalence of the disorder in Europe is 1:300,000 births; data on the prevalence in Poland is missing. An abnormal structure of the region coding for the ALPL gene, which is responsible for producing tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase, is the main cause of clinical symptoms. Consequently, there is a significant deficiency in the activity or even absence of this enzyme. Due to the heterogeneous clinical expression of hypophosphatasia, multiple clinical forms of the disorder, which vary in their mode of inheritance and prognosis, have been described, including rare and sporadically reported perinatal forms. There are ongoing studies on the aetiology, diagnosis and treatment of different clinical forms of hypophosphatasia. We present a case report of perinatal hypophosphatasia diagnosed in the Department of Neonatology at the University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw, with particular focus on the implemented diagnostic-therapeutic process and possible complications in the affected child during the stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. We also performed a literature review to present a wider picture of the disorder belonging to the group of the so-called rare diseases. We described current diagnostic and treatment possibilities in hypophosphatasia, based on the latest clinical trials, as well as the costs of treatment using Strensiq, the only alkaline phosphatase analogue available on the market.

Cognitive Deficits in Myopathies

Myopathies represent a wide spectrum of heterogeneous diseases mainly characterized by the abnormal structure or functioning of skeletal muscle. The current paper provides a comprehensive overview of cognitive deficits observed in various myopathies by consulting the main libraries (Pubmed, Scopus and Google Scholar). This review focuses on the causal classification of myopathies and concomitant cognitive deficits. In most studies, cognitive deficits have been found after clinical observations while lesions were also present in brain imaging. Most studies refer to hereditary myopathies, mainly Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and myotonic dystrophies (MDs); therefore, most of the overview will focus on these subtypes of myopathies. Most recent bibliographical sources have been preferred.