Wooden Foreign Body Embedded in the Zygomatic Region for 2?Years

We report a case of retained wooden foreign body in the zygomatic region which posed a considerable diagnostic difficulty and was the source of persistent draining sinus and other distressing symptoms. The patient was not aware of the foreign body in the maxillofacial region. In such cases a thorough history of the patient is of utmost importance. The case has been described to highlight the problems associated in managing unlikely foreign bodies at unusual facial sites when there is a possibility that radiolucent material is embedded in the wound.     

A five-year antimicrobial resistance pattern of Shigella isolated from stools in the Gondar University hospital, northwest Ethiopia

Shigellosis is a global health problem. However, developing countries, where there is poor hygiene and unsafe water supplies, are especially affected. In the last two decades Shigella isolates have become increasingly resistant to many commonly used drugs. We investigated the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Shigella isolated from stool specimens processed over five years in the bacteriology laboratory of the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital in northwest Ethiopia. Stool specimens were processed using standard bacteriological methods and data on bacterial culture, isolation and antimicrobial sensitivity were collected in the laboratory logbook. From a total of 2891 cultures stool specimens, 214 yielded Shigella. The overall sensitivity of Shigella to the commonly used antibiotics was: gentamicin (92.1%), ciprofloxacin (91.1%), chloramphenicol (47.2%), cotrimoxazole (26.6%), ampicillin (20.1%) and tetracycline (14%). About 46% of the isolates were resistant to at least three of the most commonly used drugs and 1.4% were resistant to all the commonly used drugs. The results demonstrated continued sensitivity of Shigella to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin and widespread resistance to tetracycline, ampicillin and cotrimoxazole. It is recommended that the use of gentamicin and ciprofloxacin be strictly regulated in the treatment of severe cases in regions where shigellosis is endemic and where the occasional epidemics result in high mortality.     

Age of diagnosis in familial Barrett’s associated neoplasia

Familial Cancer - The identification of hereditary cancer genes for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and its precursor, Barrett’s esophagus (BE), may prove critical for the development of...     

The relationship of vitamin D with non-traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease in subjects with metabolic syndrome

Introduction

Several studies implicate an inverse relationship between 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)Vit D) serum levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS). We sought to investigate a possible relationship between 25(OH)Vit D and emerging risk factors associated with MetS, such as small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) concentration, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A₂ (Lp-PLA₂) activity and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels.

Material and methods

We studied 110 consecutive otherwise healthy individuals. Of these, 52 were diagnosed with MetS and 58 who did not meet the MetS criteria served as controls. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subclass analysis was performed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Lp-PLA₂ activity was determined in total plasma by the trichloroacetic acid precipitation procedure. Serum 25(OH)Vit D was determined quantitatively by an enzyme immunoassay method.

Results

Metabolic syndrome subjects had significantly lower 25(OH)Vit D levels (11.8 [0.6-48.3] ng/ml; 29.5 [1.5-120.75] nmol/l) compared with controls (17.2 [4.8-62.4] ng/ml; 43 [12-156] nmol/l, p = 0.027). Univariate regression analysis showed that 25(OH)Vit D concentration was inversely related to triglycerides (r= − 0.416, p = 0.003) and sdLDL-C (r= − 0.305, p = 0.004). There was no association of 25(OH)Vit D with waist circumference, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting glucose, Lp-PLA₂ and hsCRP. In multivariate regression analysis the relationship between 25(OH)Vit D and sdLDL-C became insignificant when triglycerides were included in the model.

Conclusions

Subjects with MetS exhibit lower 25(OH)Vit D serum levels compared with non-MetS individuals. Low 25(OH)Vit D is associated with higher sdLDL-C levels possibly through elevated triglycerides. No association between 25(OH)Vit D and Lp-PLA₂ or hsCRP was found.     

Method development and validation of almotriptan in human plasma by HPLC tandem mass spectrometry: application to pharmacokinetic study

A simple, sensitive and selective method has been developed for quantification of Almotriptan (AL) in human plasma using Almotriptan-d(6) (ALD6) as an internal standard. Almotriptan and Almotriptan-d(6) were detected with proton adducts at m/z 336.1→201.1 and 342.2→207.2 in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) positive mode, respectively. The method was linear over a concentration range of 0.5-150.0 ng/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for Almotriptan were 0.2 pg/mL and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. Liquid-liquid extraction was used followed by MS/MS (ion spray). The method was shown to be precise with an average within-run and between-run variation of 0.68 to 2.78% and 0.57 to 0.86%, respectively. The average within-run and between-run accuracy of the method throughout its linear range was 98.94 to 102.64% and 99.43 to 101.44%, respectively. The mean recovery of drug and internal standard from human plasma was 92.12 ± 4.32% and 89.62 ± 6.32%. It can be applied for clinical and pharmacokinetic studies.     

Air quality modeling for the urban Jackson, Mississippi Region using a high resolution WRF/Chem model

In this study, an attempt was made to simulate the air quality with reference to ozone over the Jackson (Mississippi) region using an online WRF/Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting-Chemistry) model. The WRF/Chem model has the advantages of the integration of the meteorological and chemistry modules with the same computational grid and same physical parameterizations and includes the feedback between the atmospheric chemistry and physical processes. The model was designed to have three nested domains with the inner-most domain covering the study region with a resolution of 1 km. The model was integrated for 48 hours continuously starting from 0000 UTC of 6 June 2006 and the evolution of surface ozone and other precursor pollutants were analyzed. The model simulated atmospheric flow fields and distributions of NO2 and O3 were evaluated for each of the three different time periods. The GIS based spatial distribution maps for ozone, its precursors NO, NO2, CO and HONO and the back trajectories indicate that all the mobile sources in Jackson, Ridgeland and Madison contributing significantly for their formation. The present study demonstrates the applicability of WRF/Chem model to generate quantitative information at high spatial and temporal resolution for the development of decision support systems for air quality regulatory agencies and health administrators.     

Is there enough vaccine to eradicate measles? An integrated analysis of measles-containing vaccine supply and demand

Responding to regional advancements in combating measles, the World Health Organization in May 2008 called for an assessment of the feasibility of measles eradication, including whether sufficient vaccine supply exists. Interviews with international health officials and vaccine-makers provided data for a detailed model of worldwide demand and supply for measles-containing vaccine (MCV). The study projected global MCV demand through 2025 with and without a global eradication goal. The study found that 5.2 billion MCV doses must be administered during 2010-2025 to maintain current measles programs, and 5.9 billion doses would likely be needed with a 2020 eradication goal; in the most intensive scenario, demand could increase to 7.5 billion doses. These volumes are within existing and planned MCV-manufacturing capacity, although there are risks. In some markets, capacity is concentrated: Supply-chain disruptions could reduce supply or increase prices. Mitigation strategies could include stockpiling, long-term contracts, and further coordination with manufacturers.     

Sub-cellular accumulation of magnetic nanoparticles in breast tumors and metastases

In this study, the sub-cellular accumulation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in breast tumors and peripheral organs were investigated. MNPs were conjugated with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH), whose receptors are expressed by most types of breast cancer cells. After the nanoparticles were injected into female nude mice bearing MDA-MB-435S.luc tumors, the mice were sacrificed to collect tumors and peripheral organs for biological and TEM analyses. LHRH conjugated SPIONs (LHRH- SPIONs) were found to accumulate in cancer cells, mainly in the primary tumors and the metastatic lungs, where they aggregated to form clusters. In contrast, most of the unconjugated SPIONs were collected in the liver cells. The results suggest that LHRH- SPIONs can be used to target cancer cells in the primary breast tumors and the lung metastases. TEM is also shown to be a useful tool for the studies of sub-cellular distributions of SPIONs in tumors and tissues.