Evaluation of the role of reflux pattern in Color Doppler Ultrasound on spermogram improvement after varicocelectomy

International Urology and Nephrology - Many attempts are being made to find an association between varicocele characteristics and sperm parameters. In this study, we investigated the association...     

Subcutaneous immunization with a novel immunogenic candidate (urease) confers protection against Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis infections

Brucellosis is a world prevalent endemic illness that is transmitted from domestic animals to humans. Brucella spp. exploits urease for survival in the harsh conditions of stomach during the gastrointestinal infection. In this study, we examined the immune response and the protection elicited by using recombinant Brucella urease (rUrease) vaccination in BALB/c mice. The urease gene was cloned in pET28a and the resulting recombinant protein was employed as subunit vaccine. Recombinant protein was administered subcutaneously and intraperitoneally. Dosage reduction was observed with subcutaneous (SC) vaccination when compared with intraperitoneal (IP) vaccination. rUrease induced mixed Th1–Th2 immune responses with high titers of specific IgG1 and IgG2a. In lymphocyte proliferation assay, splenocytes from IP and SC‐vaccinated mice displayed a strong recall proliferative response with high amounts of IL‐4, IL‐12 and IFN‐γ production. Vaccinated mice were challenged with virulent Brucella melitensis, B. abortus and B. suis. The SC vaccination route exhibited a higher degree of protection than IP vaccination (p value ≤ 0.05). Altogether, our results indicated that rUrease could be a useful antigen candidate for the development of subunit vaccines against brucellosis.     

The effects of diode laser (660 nm) on the rate of tooth movements: an animal study

Lasers in Medical Science - Low-level laser has been indicated to have the capability to facilitate the differentiation of the osteoclastic and osteoblastic cells which are responsible for the bone...     

Interfrontal encephalocele: a rare feature of forehead in hydrocephalic myelomeningocele patients. Clinical feature, probable mechanisms, and management

Objective

Myelomeningocele is a complex central nervous system malformation mostly associated with other neural and extraneural anomalies. A rare special feature of the forehead and skull was observed in myelomeningocele. Here, we present several patients with myelomeningocele, severe hydrocephalus, and interfrontal encephalocele accompanied by metopic suture widening and abnormally shaped frontal bones.

Methods

Five children with this feature were enrolled in this series. The age, sex, location of myelomeningocele sac, neurological deficits, hydrocephalus and history of shunt surgery, and follow-up period were evaluated.

Results

Patients were aged from 1 to 12 months (mean, 6 months). All patients were male. Most sacs were located in lumbar and lumbosacral areas. Neurological deficits varying from only sphincter problem to paraplegia were found in all patients. Hydrocephalus was found in all children that needed a shunt procedure. Asymptomatic Chiari malformation, interfrontal encephalocele, and corpus callosum agenesis were evident in five, five, and three patients, respectively.

Conclusion

Anterior fontanel anomalies known as interfrontal encephalocele associated with myelomeningocele have been reported before. The patients have an open metopic suture extending widely to the nasal radix producing hypertelorism accompanied by interfrontal herniation of frontal lobes. The associated hydrocephalus exaggerates the anomaly. Treatment of accompanying hydrocephalus is advised to decrease the severity of frontal lobe herniation. Some patients may need frontal bone reconstruction surgery to provide cosmetic correction at the place of the midline frontal bone defect.     

Emotion perception and executive functioning predict work status in euthymic bipolar disorder

Functional recovery, including return to work, in Bipolar Disorder (BD) lags behind clinical recovery and may be incomplete when acute mood symptoms have subsided. We examined impact of cognition on work status and underemployment in a sample of 156 Euthymic-BD and 143 controls (HC) who were divided into working/not working groups. Clinical, health, social support, and personality data were collected, and eight cognitive factors were derived from a battery of neuropsychological tests. The HC groups outperformed the BD groups on seven of eight cognitive factors. The working-BD group outperformed the not working-BD group on 4 cognitive factors composed of tasks of emotion processing and executive functioning including processing speed and set shifting. Emotion processing and executive tasks were predictive of BD unemployment, after accounting for number of mood episodes. Four cognitive factors accounted for a significant amount of the variance in work status among the BD participants. Results indicate that patients with BD who are unemployed/unable to work exhibit greater difficulties processing emotional information and on executive tasks that comprise a set shifting or interference resolution component as compared to those who are employed, independent of other factors. These cognitive and affective factors are suggested as targets for treatment and/or accommodations.     

Warfarin sensitivity: be aware of genetic influence

BACKGROUND: avoidance of over anticoagulation in response to warfarin therapy would reduce risk of associated bleeding. SUBJECTS: two elderly patients with venous thromboembolism exhibited extreme anticoagulant response to warfarin. Both were noted to have variant CYP2C9 alleles, which reduce the metabolic capacity of cytochrome P450 2C9. DISCUSSION: adverse outcomes with warfarin therapy could be explained and possibly avoided by identifying patients with variant alleles for CYP2C9 before initiation of therapy.     

Understanding sexual behaviour change in rural southwest Uganda: a multi-method study

Studies report substantial sexual behaviour change in Africa in response to HIV/AIDS. Generally there seems to be an increase in condom use and a reduction in partners, with men reporting more change than women. However, it is not only important to know whether people are changing their sexual behaviour but also their reasons for changing and the consistency and extent of change. Between 1996 and 2000 a study involving 196 respondents was carried out in rural southwest Uganda to investigate the exact nature of behaviour change and the reasons for change or lack of change since people became aware of HIV/AIDS. Data were collected from three rounds of questionnaire surveys, four rounds of open in-depth interviews, six rounds of semi-structured interviews and from informal conversations and participant observation. In order to obtain a comprehensive assessment of behaviour change the data for each participant from all sources were compared and discrepancies were then followed up by re-interviewing participants. After triangulation between all sources of data, 48% of respondents had ever used a condom. Condom use in 76% of all cases was at least partly AIDS related, while 19% was exclusively for protection against HIV. Condom use tended to be sporadic: only 13% of condom users currently used a condom regularly and most of this use was for family planning. After triangulation, 45% had reduced the number of sexual partners. Of all partner reductions, 93% was at least partly AIDS related; 29% was exclusively to avoid HIV. Half of those who had reduced the number of partners either stuck to one partner or abstained. Men reported more change than women. Of those who reported no partner reduction, 89% could not reduce the number of partners because they already had only few or a single partner or abstained; most of these were women. Most of those who could change their sexual behaviour had already changed, though the degree of change (particularly condom use) was often minimal. Not only behaviour change, but also the maintenance of safe behaviour is important. Also, understanding reasons for change and extent and consistency of change are important when planning and evaluating interventions.