Emotional abuse, self-blame, and self-silencing in women with irritable bowel syndrome

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of emotional abuse and two psychosocial constructs (self-blame and self-silencing) in a sample of women diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) relative to a comparison sample of women diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: Women diagnosed with IBS (N = 25) were compared with women diagnosed with IBD (N = 25) on measures of history of abuse, self-blame, and self-silencing. RESULTS: It was found that women in the IBS sample scored significantly higher on emotional abuse, self-blame, and self-silencing than did women in the IBD sample. These three variables were also found to be significantly intercorrelated in both the IBS and IBD samples. Finally, emotional abuse was significantly higher in IBS patients than in IBD patients beyond the differences accounted for by physical and/or sexual abuse history. CONCLUSIONS: These findings empirically demonstrate an association between IBS and emotional abuse, as well as a possible connection with psychosocial variables, that may mediate the connection between emotional abuse and functional bowel symptoms. We suggest that these variables be further evaluated in the context of clinically relevant research on IBS.     

Hematological reference intervals in argentine lizard <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tupinambis merianae</Emphasis> (Sauria—Teiidae)

In order to establish referential hematological parameters, blood samples were taken from 100 healthy specimens of the Argentine tegu lizard (Tupinambis merianae) by means of venipuncture of ventral coccigeal vein. The determination of red blood cells, leukocyte and thrombocyte count, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, hematometric index and differential leukocyte count were performed, and compared with other saurian species. No statistically significant changes were observed as function as sex and age (p > 0.01). During winter, high values of red blood cell counts, hematocrit and hemoglobin were observed (p < 0.01), while in summer significantly increased leukocyte and thrombocyte counts were observed (p < 0.01). The differential leukocyte counts were not affected by the studied factors.     

Papillomas and atypical papillomas in breast core needle biopsy specimens: risk of carcinoma in subsequent excision

We sought to define the risk associated with papillomas and atypical papillomas in breast core needle biopsy specimens from a series of approximately 8,500 biopsies performed during 8 years. From a total of 62 papillary lesions (including papillomas and atypical papillomas), 40 (65%) had histologic follow-up. Overall, 15 (38%) of 40 patients had ductal carcinoma in situ (12 cases) or invasive carcinoma at excision (3 cases). Eight cases diagnosed as papilloma had benign follow-up. Slides were available for review in 38 cases and reclassified into benign papilloma with florid hyperplasia and no or minimal atypia (18 cases), papilloma with separate foci of atypical ductal hyperplasia (7 cases), and severely atypical papillomas "suspicious" for papillary carcinoma (13 cases). Carcinoma was identified in 0 (0%), 2 (29%), and 12 (92%) cases, respectively. We conclude that while atypical papillary lesions and papillomas with associated atypical ductal hyperplasia in breast core needle biopsy specimens are associated with a risk of carcinoma, lesions diagnosed as papilloma or papilloma with no or minimal atypia are benign and do not need to be excised.     

Nature's Swiss Army Knife: The Diverse Protective Roles of Anthocyanins in Leaves

Anthocyanins, the pigments responsible forspectacular displays of vermilion in the leaves of deciduoustrees, have long been considered an extravagant waste of aplant's resources. Contemporary research, in contrast, has begunto show that the pigments can significantly influence the way aleaf responds to environmental stress. Anthocyanins have beenimplicated in tolerance to stressors as diverse as drought,UV-B, and heavy metals, as well as resistance toherbivores and pathogens. By absorbing high-energy quanta,anthocyanic cell vacuoles both protect chloroplasts from thephotoinhibitory and photooxidative effects of strong light, andprevent the catabolism of photolabile defence compounds.Anthocyanins also mitigate photooxidative injury in leaves byefficiently scavenging free radicals and reactive oxygen species.Far from being a useless by-product of the flavonoid pathway,these red pigments may in some instances be critical for plant survival.     

Synaptophysin expression in neuroendocrine neoplasms as determined by immunocytochemistry.

Synaptophysin is an integral membrane glycoprotein originally isolated from presynaptic vesicles of bovine neurons. The authors have studied a wide spectrum of neuroendocrine (NE) neoplasms by immunofluorescence microscopy on cryostat sections of freshly frozen tissues using a monoclonal antibody to this protein (SY 38). Without exception, they found the identical--or a very similar--protein expressed in all neuroblastomas, ganglioneuroblastomas, ganglioneuromas, pheochromocytomas, and paragangliomas studied. In these "neural" type NE neoplasms, synaptophysin was coexpressed with neurofilament proteins. Synaptophysin was also demonstrated in NE neoplasms of "epithelial" type in which it was predominantly coexpressed with cytokeratins and desmoplakin. It was invariably found in all variants of islet cell neoplasms and in all medullary thyroid carcinomas. Synaptophysin was also demonstrated in several adenomas of the hypophysis and parathyroids, in the majority of carcinoids of the bronchopulmonary and gastrointestinal tracts, and in many, though not all, NE carcinomas of the same sites, and of the skin. Conversely, SY 38 did not immunostain any of a large number of benign and malignant non-NE epithelial neoplasms; nor was any immunostaining obtained in a group of mesenchymal tumors. It is remarkable that SY 38 did not immunostain a number of malignant melanomas, including several that were immunostained for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and several neuropeptides. Parallel studies conducted on conventionally fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections immunostained by the use of the avidin-biotin complex technique yielded very similar results. The findings indicate that synaptophysin is expressed in the whole range of NE neoplasms without detectable relation to the expression of other NE markers such as NSE, serotonin, and neuropeptides. Nor could the expression of synaptophysin by these tumors be correlated with their epithelial and/or neural cytoskeletal characteristics, their clinical aggressiveness, or the presence or absence of endocrinologic abnormalities. While the consistent expression of synaptophysin by the "neural" type of NE neoplasms would seem predictable its presence in diverse benign and malignant NE tumors of "epithelial" type is remarkable. It is concluded that synaptophysin is a significant as well as novel NE marker, and the use of antibody SY 38 as a broad range marker for the study and diagnosis of NE neoplasms is proposed.     

Comparison of screening methods for TEM- and SHV-derived extended-spectrum β-lactamase detection

Objective   To compare common extended-spectrum β -lactamase (ESBL) screening methods and β -lactams for their ability to detect TEM- and SHV-related ESBL enzymes.
Methods   This study compared disk diffusion testing by NCCLS methodology, the Jarlier double disk test, a disk-on-disk test, a modified three-dimensional test and the E test method for their sensitivity and specificity in detecting TEM- and SHV-related ESBL producers. Three negative and 22 positive controls were studied. These were two Klebsiella pneumoniae and 23 Escherichia coli transconjugants. Seventeen β -lactam antibiotics were tested: cefamandole, cefotetan, cefoxitin, cefuroxime, cefixime, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefpodoxime, cefsulodin, ceftazidime, ceftibuten, ceftizoxime, ceftriaxone, moxalactam, cefepime, cefpirome and aztreonam.
Results   NCCLS disk diffusion was 14% sensitive with ceftriaxone, 36% with cefotaxime, 64% with aztreonam, 68% with cefpodoxime, and 73% with ceftazidime. Cefoperazone, cefamandole, cefpodoxime and cefpirome showed 91% sensitivity using the Jarlier test. Using the disk-on-disk test, cefsulodin showed 95% sensitivity, and cefoperazone, cefepime and cefamandole showed 91% sensitivity. With the modified three-dimensional test, cefoperazone, cefpodoxime and cefpirome showed 91% sensitivity.
Conclusions   For practical reasons, we would recommend use of either the Jarlier test or the commercial cephalosporin disks containing clavulanic acid to screen for ESBL producers. Cefoperazone, cefamandole, cefpodoxime and cefpirome showed good sensitivity across the methods tested.