Short-Term Secondary Effects of a School-Based Drug Prevention Program: Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of the Brazilian Version of DARE’s Keepin’ it REAL

Prevention Science - This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug and violence resistance educational program (PROERD) on short-term secondary outcomes, such as intentions to use...     

Preoperative screening for perioperative cardiac risk

Preoperative screening for potential cardiac complications is crucial in making rational decisions about surgery. A number of classification schemes are available to aid the primary care physician in assessing a patient's perioperative cardiac risk. In general, these schemes enable the physician to place patients in low-risk, moderate-risk and high-risk categories. Patients at low risk can often be safely referred for surgery with minimal preoperative evaluation, while those at potentially high risk frequently need further assessment and medical or surgical treatment of cardiac disease prior to surgery. The classification schemes are most accurate in identifying patients at high risk for perioperative cardiac complications. However, patients with silent underlying cardiac disease are often underclassified with respect to potential risk. For those patients, accurate prediction of perioperative cardiac complications can be challenging.     

Cavo-portal transposition in rat: a new simple model

Background  

Liver transplantation in presence of diffuse portal vein thrombosis is possible by using caval blood as portal inflow, through cavo-portal transposition. However, clinical results are heterogeneous and experimental studies are needed, but similar hemodynamic conditions are difficult to obtain, especially in small animals. Herein we describe a new simple model of cavo-portal transposition in rat.     

Pure isolated dorsal dislocation of the fifth carpometacarpal joint

Isolated pure dislocations of the fifth carpo-metacarpal joint are extremely rare injuries. The dorsal form was described in mere 12 cases. The diagnosis can be easily missed. The lesion is also often overlooked in the routine diagnostic X-ray. Lateral and oblique views are important for the recognition of the true extent of the lesion. Treatment of these injures is still controversial and both closed reduction with percutaneous pinning or open reduction with internal fixation are advocated. The goal of treatment is early reduction and fixation of the metacarpal. Early diagnosis is the key to success. The aim of this paper is to review literature and present two new cases.     

Analysis of the epsilon-sarcoglycan gene in familial and sporadic myoclonus-dystonia: evidence for genetic heterogeneity.

The epsilon-sarcoglycan gene (SGCE) on human chromosome 7q21 has been reported to be a major locus for inherited myoclonus-dystonia. Linkage to the SGCE locus has been detected in the majority of families tested, and mutations in the coding region have been found recently in families with autosomal dominant myoclonus-dystonia. To evaluate the relevance of SGCE in myoclonus-dystonia, we sequenced the entire coding region of the epsilon-sarcoglycan gene in 16 patients with either sporadic or familial myoclonus-dystonia. No mutations were found. This study suggests that epsilon-sarcoglycan does not play an important role in sporadic myoclonus-dystonia and supports genetic heterogeneity in familial cases.     

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis associated with peritonitis in older patients

Our recent experience with peritonitis in patients over the age of 55 years undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis between 1979 and 1989 is reviewed. Thirty-seven patients in this age group underwent Tenckhoff catheter insertion. Severe catheter-related peritonitis occurred at a rate of 1.41 episodes per patient per year. Overall, there were 61 episodes of peritonitis in 31 patients, with an overall mortality rate of 7%. When systemic signs of sepsis were present, this rate rose to 25%. All deaths were associated with fungal, pseudomonal, or polymicrobial infections. Management of these infections may require aggressive measures including repeated laparotomy for control of sepsis.     

A rare thyroid vascular anomaly: a unique thyroid artery arising from the right carotid bifurcation

The evidence of thyroid vascular anomalies is is frequent and may manifest itself with an anatomic alteration. The absence of the inferior thyroid artery is reported in 1% of the cases, while a thyroid artery arising from the common carotid artery has been found in 2% of examined patients. In the observed case we retain that the rarity is not only due to the contemporary presence of two anomalies, but also to the presence of an anomalous vessel which arises from right carotideal bifurcation and bloody supplies either right lobular or left lobular of thyroid, thus resulting the sole gland's arterial vessel.     

Ovariectomy in the rat induces a rapid increase in the urinary excretion of hydroxylysine glycosides and non-reducible crosslink residues

The ovariectomized rat is the most commonly used animal model of human postmenopausal osteoporosis, exhibiting a high rate of bone turnover with resorption exceeding formation. At present, bone turnover is quantified directly by dynamic histomorphometry. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the measurement of the urinary output of some specific bone collagen catabolites — pyridinolines and hydroxylysine glycosides — could be used to indirectly monitor the initial phase of bone turnover increase in ovariectomized 90-day-old rats. Ninety-day-old female rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=6): ovariectomized, sham-operated and non-treated controls. Urine samples (24 h) were collected 6 days before surgery and twice weekly for the 4 weeks following ovariectomy. Urinary excretion of pyridinoline (PYD), deoxypyridinoline (DPD), glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine (GGHYL) and galactosyl-hydroxylysine (GHYL) were measured. As expected, ovariectomy was associated with a significant decrease in bone mineral density in both the proximal tibial and distal femoral metaphysis. Compared with both sham-operated and control animals, ovariectomized rats showed significant increases in PYD, GGHYL and GHYL urinary output 8 days after surgery and in DPD output after 15 days. These changes were maintained throughout the study. The results confirm that measurement of the urinary excretion of pyridinolines and hydroxylysine glycosides represents a powerful tool for detecting the onset of bone turnover in ovariectomized 90-day-old rats.