Citations

ABSTRACT We describe a case of shoulder hemiarthroplasty infection with Desulfovibrio legallii . Antimicrobial susceptibilities of 36 Desulfovibrio isolates are presented. Metronidazole and carbapenems exhibited reliable activity, although piperacillin-tazobactam did not. Eleven previous cases of Desulfovibrio infection are reviewed; most arose from a gastrointestinal tract-related source.

ABSTRACTFor total knee arthroplasty (TKA), neutral mechanical alignment produces balanced static knee loading. Dynamically, knee loading is affected by more than limb static alignment. We compared static and dynamic knee loading following TKA. Fifteen TKA patients were evaluated pre‐operatively and 2 months and 2 years post‐operatively. Tibiofemoral angles and medial tibial plateau loading were calculated. Pre‐operatively, static medial load was greater for varus than valgus knees. Post‐operatively, no relationship existed between tibiofemoral angle and static medial plateau load. Pre‐operatively and post‐operatively, dynamic medial load was not dependent on tibiofemoral angle. While all patients achieved equal static plateau load distributions at 2 years, only 47% had dynamic medial load distributions of 50 ± 10%. Static tibiofemoral alignment alone does not predict dynamic tibial loading. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:???–???, 2014.

Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive pediatric small round cell tumor that predominantly occurs in bone. Approximately 85% of Ewing sarcomas harbor the EWS/FLI fusion protein, which arises from a chromosomal translocation, t(11:22)(q24:q12). EWS/FLI interacts with numerous lineage‐essential transcription factors to maintain mesenchymal progenitors in an undifferentiated state. We previously showed that EWS/FLI binds the osteogenic transcription factor RUNX2 and prevents osteoblast differentiation. In this study, we investigated the role of another Runt‐domain protein, RUNX3, in Ewing sarcoma. RUNX3 participates in mesenchymal‐derived bone formation and is a context dependent tumor suppressor and oncogene. RUNX3 was detected in all Ewing sarcoma cells examined, whereas RUNX2 was detected in only 73% of specimens. Like RUNX2, RUNX3 binds to EWS/FLI via its Runt domain. EWS/FLI prevented RUNX3 from activating the transcription of a RUNX‐responsive reporter, p6OSE2. Stable suppression of RUNX3 expression in the Ewing sarcoma cell line A673 delayed colony growth in anchorage independent soft agar assays and reversed expression of EWS/FLI‐responsive genes. These results demonstrate an important role for RUNX3 in Ewing sarcoma. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 2049–2056, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ABSTRACT A retrospective analysis of 386,706 specimens representing a variety of matrix types used in qualitative real-time PCR assays determined the overall inhibition rate to be 0.87% when the inhibition control was added preextraction to 5,613 specimens and 0.01% when the inhibition control was added postextraction but preamplification in 381,093 specimens. Inhibition rates of ≤1% were found for all specimen matrix types except urine and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.

BACKGROUNDThe 1996 National Cancer Institute Working Group (NCI‐WG 96) guidelines classified disease in individuals who had a B‐cell clone with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) immunophenotype as CLL if their absolute lymphocyte count was ≥5 × 109/L. The 2008 International Workshop on CLL guidelines (IWCLL 2008) classified disease as CLL if the absolute B‐cell count was ≥5 × 109/L or as monoclonal B‐cell lymphocytosis (MBL) if the absolute B‐cell count was <5 × 109/L. The objective of the current study of Olmsted County, Minnesota, was to assess the effects of these changes on incidence rates and presentation from 2000 to 2010.METHODSUsing diagnostic indices available through the Rochester Epidemiology Project and the Mayo CLL database, the authors identified all patients with newly diagnosed CLL and high‐count MBL from 2000 to 2010. Age‐specific and sex‐specific incidence rates were determined.RESULTSAccording to NCI‐WG 96 criteria, there were 115 patients with CLL and 8 patients with MBL during the period studied. Using the IWCLL 2008 classification, there were 79 patients with CLL and 40 patients with MBL. Rai stage distribution (low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk) using NCI‐WG 96 criteria was 60.9%, 33.9%, and 5.2%, respectively, compared with 43%, 49.4%, and 7.6%, respectively, using IWCLL 2008 criteria. The age‐adjusted and sex‐adjusted incidence rates (per 100,000) for CLL and MBL were 10.0 and 0.66, respectively, using NCI‐WG 96 criteria versus 6.8 and 3.5, respectively, using IWCLL 2008 criteria. The median time to treatment according to NCI‐WG 96 criteria was 9.2 years versus 6.5 years with IWCLL 2008 criteria.CONCLUSIONSUse of the IWCLL 2008 guidelines reduced the incidence of CLL, altered the distribution of initial Rai stage at diagnosis, and shortened the median time to treatment. Cancer 2014;120:2000–2005. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Mathematical models are non-invasive tools used for analyzing biomechanical conditions. Various models of the knee using the finite element analysis technique [1–6] and rigid body spring model (RBSM) [7] have been developed to predict pressure distribution in articulating joints, although the RBSM is considered the simplest of the modeling techniques, while still effectively predicting load distribution. These models can be used to study altered joint loading, which causes a degeneration of the articular cartilage, in order to gain an understanding of the etiology of osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study is to develop a subject-specific analytical knee model using the RBSM approach that incorporates subject-specific geometry, joint health, and loading patterns to predict tibiofemoral load distributions.

Objectives To model renal function after radical nephroureterectomy ( RNU ) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma ( UTUC ). To identify predictors of renal function decline after surgery, thereby allowing the identification of patients likely to be ineligible for cisplatin‐based chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting. Patients and Methods We retrospectively identified 374 patients treated with RNU for UTUC at three centres between 1995 and 2010. Estimated glomerular filtration rate ( eGFR ) was calculated using Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation before RNU and at early (1–5 months after RNU ) and late (>5 months) time points after RNU . Only patients deemed eligible for cisplatin‐based chemotherapy before RNU (preoperative glomerular filtration rate [ GFR ] ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) were included. Multivariable analysis identified the preoperative predictors of eGFR after RNU at early postoperative and late postoperative time points. Results A total of 163 patients had an eligible early post‐ RNU eGFR measurement and 172 had an eligible late eGFR measurement. The median eGFR declined by 32% and did not show a significant trend toward recovery over time ( P = 0.4). On multivariable analysis preoperative eGFR and patient age were significantly associated with early and late postoperative eGFR , while C harlson comorbidity index score was significantly associated with late postoperative eGFR alone. Conclusions In patients with normal preoperative eGFR (≥60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ), renal function decreases by one‐third after RNU and does not show evidence of recovery over time. Elderly patients and those with pre‐ RNU eGFR closer to 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 (lower eGFR in the present cohort) are more likely to be ineligible for adjuvant cisplatin‐based chemotherapy regimens because of renal function loss after RNU .

Increased global connectivity has catalyzed technological development in almost all industries, in part through the facilitation of novel collaborative structures. Notably, open innovation and crowd-sourcing—of expertise and/or funding—has tremendous potential to increase the efficiency with which biomedical ecosystems interact to deliver safe, efficacious and affordable therapies to patients. Consequently, such practices offer tremendous potential in advancing development of cellular therapies. In this vein, the CASMI Translational Stem Cell Consortium (CTSCC) was formed to unite global thought-leaders, producing academically rigorous and commercially practicable solutions to a range of challenges in pluripotent stem cell translation. Critically, the CTSCC research agenda is defined through continuous consultation with its international funding and research partners. Herein, initial findings for all research focus areas are presented to inform global product development strategies, and to stimulate continued industry interaction around biomanufacturing, strategic partnerships, standards, regulation and intellectual property and clinical adoption.