Lenses and effective spatial resolution in macroscopic optical mapping

Optical mapping of excitation dynamically tracks electrical waves travelling through cardiac or brain tissue by the use of fluorescent dyes. There are several characteristics that set optical mapping apart from other imaging modalities: dynamically changing signals requiring short exposure times, dim fluorescence demanding sensitive sensors and wide fields of view (low magnification) resulting in poor optical performance. These conditions necessitate the use of optics with good light gathering ability, i.e. lenses having high numerical aperture. Previous optical mapping studies often used sensor resolution to estimate the minimum spatial feature resolvable, assuming perfect optics and infinite contrast. We examine here the influence of finite contrast and real optics on the effective spatial resolution in optical mapping under broad-field illumination for both lateral (in-plane) resolution and axial (depth) resolution of collected fluorescence signals.     

The effect of chamomile extract obtained in supercritical carbon dioxide conditions on physicochemical and usable properties of pharmaceutical ointments

The study investigated the effect of chamomile extract obtained in supercritical carbon dioxide conditions on the basic properties of pharmaceutical ointments. A total of five formulations were designed and prepared, differing in the weight ratio of sunflower oil to chamomile extract (5:0, 3.5:1.5, 2.5:2.5, 1.5:3.5 and 0:5). An increase in the concentration of chamomile extract was found to be accompanied by a decrease in hardness, adhesive power and flow limit. Based on viscosity measurements it was shown that ointments containing the hydrophobic plant extract under study were prone to larger drops in viscosity under the effect of the set shear rate. It was determined that from the viewpoint of ointment spreadability and application to the skin, the optimum concentration of chamomile extract for the studied formulations should be within the range of 1.5–2.5%. Furthermore, the addition of chamomile extract to ointments was found to give samples a yellow-green color. Green was observed to be the dominant color, and its saturation and shade varied for different formulations.     

Genotype distribution of clinical isolates of Trichosporon asahii based on sequencing of intergenic spacer 1

The sequence polymorphisms of intergenic transcribed spacer and the antifungal susceptibility profile of 18 Trichosporon asahii isolates from Spain, Argentina, and Brazil together with 43 intergenic transcribed spacer 1 sequences deposited in the GenBank were analyzed. Six genotypes were detected instead of 5 genotypes described previously. Genotype 1 was the most common found comprising 57.3% of all strains, followed by genotype 3 (14.7%) and genotype 5 (13.1%). Spanish strains had members in all genotypes except 2, whereas South American isolates were grouped with genotypes 1, 3, and 6. Our results indicate that all genotypes are present in at least 2 countries suggesting a worldwide distribution. On the other hand, genotype 6 was not previously described but was only composed of 2 South American strains isolated from a subcutaneous abscess and skin. All isolates showed amphotericin B MICs>or=2 mg/L supporting the in vitro resistance of this species to this antifungal. Three isolates from South America showed high MICs to all antifungals analyzed. The true epidemiologic usefulness of classifying T. asahii in genotypes should be ascertaining analyzing a high number of isolates from many countries.     

ASO Visual Abstract: Margin Management and Adjuvant Therapy for Phyllodes Tumors—Practice Patterns of the American Society of Breast Surgeons Members

Annals of Surgical Oncology -     

Surgical Conditions Account for the Majority of Admissions to Three Primary Referral Hospitals in Rural Mozambique

Background

The World Health Organization has identified the primary referral hospital as its priority site for improving surgical care in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about the relative burden surgical patients place on health care facilities at this level. This research estimates the fraction of admissions due to surgical conditions at three hospitals in rural Mozambique.

Methods

Prospective data were collected on all inpatients at three primary referral hospitals in Mozambique during a 12-day period. We compared the number of surgical patients and their length of stay (LOS) to the patients admitted to the medicine, pediatric, and maternity wards. These findings were validated using retrospective data collected from one hospital from January to May 2012.

Results

Patients with surgical conditions (i.e., patients admitted to the surgical or maternity ward) accounted for 57.5 % of admissions and 48.0 % of patient-days. The majority of patients were admitted to the maternity ward (32.3 %). The other admissions were evenly distributed to the pediatric (22.5 %), medical (20.0 %), and surgical (25.2 %) wards. Compared to patients from the three other wards, surgical patients had longer average LOS (8.7 vs. 1.9–7.7 days) and a higher number of total patient-days (891 vs. 252–703 days). The most prevalent procedures were cesarean section (33.3 %) and laceration repair/wound care (11.8 %).

Conclusions

Surgical conditions are the most common reason for admissions at three primary referral hospitals in rural Mozambique. These data suggest that surgical care is a major component of health care delivered at primary referral hospitals in Mozambique and likely other sub-Saharan African countries.     

A multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme improves disability,kinesiophobia and walking ability in subjects with chronic low back pain: results of a randomised controlled pilot study

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme on disability, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, pain, quality of life and gait disturbances in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Methods

This was a parallel-group, randomised, superiority-controlled pilot study in which 20 patients were randomly assigned to a programme consisting of motor training (spinal stabilising exercises plus usual-care) and cognitive–behavioural therapy (experimental group, 10 subjects) or usual-care alone (control group, 10 subjects). Before treatment, 8 weeks later (post-treatment), and 3 months after the end of treatment, the Oswestry Disability Index, the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, a pain numerical rating scale, and the Short-Form Health Survey were assessed. Spatio-temporal gait parameters were also measured by means of an electronic walking mat. A linear mixed model for repeated measures was used for each outcome measure.

Results

The programme had significant group (p = 0.027), time (p < 0.001), and time-by-group interaction (p < 0.001) effects on disability, with the experimental group showing an improvement after training of about 61 % (25 % in the control group). The analyses of kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, and the quality of life also revealed significant time, group, and time-by-group interaction effects in favour of the experimental group, and there was a significant effect of time on pain. Both groups showed a general improvement in gait parameters, with the experimental group increasing cadence significantly more.

Conclusion

The multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme including cognitive–behavioural therapy was superior to the exercise programme in reducing disability, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, and enhancing the quality of life and gait cadence of patients with CLBP.     

Nicotine exposure during adolescence: cognitive performance and brain gene expression in adult heterozygous reeler mice

Rationale

We have recently reported nicotine-induced stimulation of reelin and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) mRNA expression levels in the brain of heterozygous reeler mice (HRM), a putative animal model for the study of symptoms relevant to major behavioral disorders.

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate long-term behavioral effects and brain molecular changes as a result of adaptations to nicotine exposure in the developing HRM males.

Methods

Adolescent mice (pnd 37–42) were exposed to oral nicotine (10 mg/l) in a 6-day free-choice drinking schedule. As expected, no differences in total nicotine intake between WT (wild-type) mice and HRM were found.

Results

Long-term behavioral effects and brain molecular changes, as a consequence of nicotine exposure during adolescence, were only evidenced in HRM. Indeed, HRM perseverative exploratory behavior and poor cognitive performance were modulated to WT levels by subchronic exposure to nicotine during development. Furthermore, the expected reduction in the expression of mRNA of reelin and GAD67 in behaviorally relevant brain areas of HRM appeared persistently restored by nicotine. For brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression, no genotype-dependent changes appeared. However, expression levels were increased by previous nicotine in brains from both genotypes. The mRNA encoding for nicotine receptor subunits (α7, β2 and α4) did not differ between genotypes and as a result of previous nicotine exposure.

Conclusion

These findings support the hypothesis of pre-existing vulnerability (based on haploinsufficiency of reelin) to brain and behavioral disorders and regulative short- and long-term effects associated with nicotine modulation.     

Influence of the Type of Cement on the Action of the Admixture Containing Aluminum Powder

The study of the effect of cement type on the action of an admixture increasing the volume of concrete (containing aluminum powder), used in amounts of 0.5–1.5% of cement mass, was presented. The tests were carried out on cement mortars with Portland (CEM I) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag cement (CEM III). The following tests were carried out for the tested mortars: the air content in fresh mortars, compressive strength, flexural strength, increase in mortar volume, bulk density, pore structure evaluation (by the computer image analysis method) and changes in the concentration of OH⁻ ions during the hydration of used cements. Differences in the action of the tested admixture depending on the cement used were found. To induce the expansion of CEM III mortars, a smaller amount of admixture is required than in the case of CEM I cement. Using the admixture in amounts above 1% of the cement mass causes cracks of mortars with CEM III cement due to slow hydrogen evolution, which occurs after mortar plasticity is lost. The use of an aluminum-containing admixture reduces the strength properties of the cement mortars, the effect being stronger in the case of CEM III cement. The influence of the sample molding time on the admixture action was also found.