The hot skull sign on bone scans of obese patients resulting from disparate soft tissue attenuation

We have frequently observed diffusely increased skull activity on bone scans of obese patients, who do not have evidence of metabolic or metastatic bone disease. Skull activity of 25 obese patients were compared to that of age and sex-matched nonobese 25 patients visually and quantitatively. The results clearly indicated that diffusely increased skull activity is significantly more common on bone scans of obese patients because of disparate attenuation of overlying soft tissues. This knowledge will help obviate the need for additional radiologic and/or laboratory tests in search of other conditions associated with hot skull, ie, Paget's disease and metabolic bone disorders such as renal osteodystrophy and primary hyperparathyroidism.     

Viral infection and antiviral therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit

Viral diseases are leading causes of mortality and morbidity among infants requiring care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), with ongoing discoveries of new viral pathology likely to add to the burdens posed. Many viral diseases in NICU infants are undiagnosed or appreciated only late in the course because of subtle or asymptomatic presentation, confusion with bacterial disease, and failure to consider viral disease. We present an overview of viral disease in NICU infants, with emphasis on pharmacologic agents currently employed for prophylaxis and treatment of such diseases. Advances in molecular biology and popular demand to develop antiviral agents for viral diseases (eg, human immunodeficiency virus) offer great promise for the future.     

A novel technique for quantifying changes in vascular density, endothelial cell proliferation and protein expression in response to modulators of angiogenesis using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay

Reliable quantitative evaluation of molecular pathways is critical for both drug discovery and treatment monitoring. We have modified the CAM assay to quantitatively measure vascular density, endothelial proliferation, and changes in protein expression in response to anti-angiogenic and pro-angiogenic agents. This improved CAM assay can correlate changes in vascular density with changes seen on a molecular level. We expect that these described modifications will result in a single in vivo assay system, which will improve the ability to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying the angiogenic response.     

Impairments of colour vision induced by organic solvents: a meta-analysis study

The impairment of colour discrimination induced by occupational exposure to toluene, styrene and mixtures of organic solvents is reviewed and analysed using a meta-analytical approach. Thirty-nine studies were surveyed covering a wide range of exposure conditions. Those studies using the Lanthony Panel D-15 desaturated test (D-15d) were further considered. From these for 15 samples data on colour discrimination ability (Colour Confusion Index, CCI) and exposure levels were provided, required for the meta-analysis. In accordance with previously reported higher CCI values for the exposed groups, the computations yielded positive effect sizes for 13 of the 15 samples, indicating that in the great majority of the studies the exposed groups showed inferior colour discrimination. However, the meta-analysis showed great variation in effect sizes across the studies. Possible reasons for inconsistency among the reported findings are discussed. These pertain to exposure-related parameters, as well as to confounders such as conditions of test administration and characteristics of subject samples. Those factors vary considerably among the studies and might have greatly contributed to divergence in measured colour vision capacity, thereby obscuring consistent effects of organic solvents on colour discrimination.     

Clonidine increases caspase-3 mRNA level and DNA fragmentation in the developing rat brainstem

The densities of alpha2-adrenergic receptors, labeled by 3H-clonidine or 3H-RX821002, reach a peak in the rat brainstem during the first week of its life. This enables the agonist of alpha2-adrenergic receptor clonidine, which is used as a component of anaesthetic solution in infants and children, to have specific effects in this structure of the developing brain. Clonidine was injected into the fetal brain (5 microg in 5 microl of saline) or subcutaneously to the pups (1, 10 microg in 50 microl of saline) 3 days before investigation. Clonidine increased the level of apoptotic enzyme caspase-3 mRNA expression, as measured by RT-PCR and enhanced the DNA fragmentation, as determined by gel electrophoresis, in the brainstem of the 21-day-old fetuses and 8-day-old rats. In the cortex of 8-day-old rat, the alpha2-adrenergic receptors are at a much lower level than the brainstem. Clonidine treatment had no evident effects on caspase-3 mRNA level and DNA fragmentation in the cortex of an 8-day-old rat. The data suggest that clonidine facilitates cell death in the developing brainstem. This drug effect provides a potential mechanism whereby clonidine during early life could induce long-lasting alterations in brain neurochemistry, autonomic functions and behavior.     

The specialized medical aid improvement for treating the wounded and patients of microsurgical profile

On the base of restorative surgery Center of Vishnevsky Central Military Clinical Hospital the department was developed. The main direction of its work is the treatment of sequelae of extremity gunshot injuries accompanied with defects of soft tissues, bony structures, tendinous-and-ligamentous apparatus, neurovascular fascicles, etc. During the period from January 1990 to December 2003 387 casualties and patients (in whom 423 surgical interventions were performed) were investigated and treated. It was possible to decrease the incidence of complications that influenced on fighting pathology final outcome in 8.5 times, to reduce the treatment period in 1.5 times. The number of cases of patient dismiss underwent the microsurgical interventions was twice less. These values were compared with those obtained in the wounded underwent the conventional plastic operations ("Filatov pedicle", "Italian" plasty, autodermoplasty, etc.) at the stage of rendering the qualified surgical aid during the period of military operation in Afghanistan (1979-1989).     

Prospective comparative study of the safety and effectiveness of ginger for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of our study was to examine the safety and the secondary objective was to examine the effectiveness of ginger for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP). STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant women who called the Motherisk Program who were taking ginger during the first trimester of pregnancy were enrolled in the study. The women were compared with a group of women who were exposed to nonteratogenic drugs that were not antiemetic medications. The women were followed up to ascertain the outcome of the pregnancy and the health of their infants. They were also asked on a scale of 0 to 10 how effective the ginger was for their symptoms of NVP. RESULTS: We were able to ascertain the outcome of 187 pregnancies. There were 181 live births, 2 stillbirths, 3 spontaneous abortions, and 1 therapeutic abortion. The mean birth weight was 3542+/-543 g, the mean gestational age was 39+/-2 weeks, and there were three major malformations. There were no statistical differences in the outcomes between the ginger group and the comparison group with the exception of more infants weighing less than 2500 g in the comparison group (12 vs 3, P < or =.001). There were a total of 66 completed effectiveness scores with the mean score of 3.3+/-2.9 SD. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ginger does not appear to increase the rates of major malformations above the baseline rate of 1% to 3% and that it has a mild effect in the treatment of NVP.