Ocular injury in children from exploding microwaved eggs

PURPOSE: To report an ocular injury caused by exploding microwave-cooked eggs. DESIGN: Case reports. METHODS: Two children exposed to exploding microwaved eggs were examined for facial burns and ocular trauma. RESULTS: One patient sustained mild corneal epithelial damage in both eyes and eyelid burn, which were treated conservatively. The other, injured in the same event, had symblepharon and moderate keratopathy requiring intensive lysis. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians should be alerted to the potential risk of vision-threatening ocular injury from exploding microwaved foods, and the public should be educated not to cook eggs in microwave ovens.     

Developmental role of GABAB(1) receptors in Drosophila

Previously, an RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of GABAB(1) subunit in adult Drosophila was used for behavioral studies. Here we report on developmental deficits caused by embryonic Drosophila GABAB(1) RNAi and drug antagonism. Injecting embryos with CGP54626 (a GABAB receptor antagonist) reduced hatching and caused lethality. Similar effects were produced by injecting embryos with GABAB(1) double-stranded RNA (RNAi). The surviving GABAB(1) RNAi larvae were significantly smaller than controls and showed a peculiar phenotype; their tracheae were folded. Our results suggest that GABAB receptors are required for normal development and that the Drosophila model could be used to investigate the participating molecular mechanisms.     

Imaging of transposed ovaries in patients with cervical carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: Lateral ovarian transposition is a surgical procedure performed in premenopausal women with pelvic malignancies in which the ovaries are surgically displaced from the pelvis, before radiation therapy. In this article, we present the imaging features of normal transposed ovaries as well as the spectrum of abnormalities associated with lateral ovarian transposition. CONCLUSION: After lateral ovarian transposition, it is important to recognize the ovaries to avoid confusing them with peritoneal implants. In addition, benign ovarian lesions must be distinguished from primary and secondary malignancies.     

The role of nitric oxide in fertility disorders in men

The aim of the study was investigation of NO influence on fertility properties of ejaculate in the diseases of male sex organs. A total of 73 males aged 20-55 years with different sexual disorders were examined. Potentiometric assay for nitrates in ejaculate, size and shape of spermatosoa were studied. NO3 was present in all sperma samples. In the control group nitrates levels were 0.662 +/- 0.147 mmol/l. In men with sexual diseases nitrates levels in ejaculate ranged from 0.114 mmol/l to 1.530 mmol/l). In normozoospermia nitrates occurred in "mean" levels (0.295 mmol/l to 0.900 mmol/ 1). In pathospermia nitrates level was high. NO produces a protective action if it was in adequate quantity. Spermatozoid concentration and a relative number of progressive-mobile forms correlated negatively with nitrates of spermatic plasma (r = -0.40) while dead spermatozoa percentage correlated positively. Thus, low NO3 content in ejaculate may result from microcirculatory disorders and endothelial dysfunction in testicular parenchyma and epididimus. NO hyperproduction occurs in inflammatory urogenital diseases. It probably induces pathospermia via direct toxic effects of NO and stimulation of lipid peroxidation.     

Neural network identification of high-risk suicide patients

BACKGROUND: A history of medically serious suicide attempts (MSSA) has been considered a major risk factor for suicide. Backpropagation (BP) neural networks (NN) successfully detected patient files of patients who had committed MSSA but failed to identify MSSA patients when trained with data collected during face-to-face interviews. PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: To develop an expert support system for the detection of suicide risk in patients with major psychiatric disorders using fuzzy adaptive learning control networks (FALCON) and BP enhanced with fuzzy logic neural networks. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We used four types of input sets: (a) the most significant variables as defined by Garson's calculation of trained BP; (b) variables identified by logistic regression; (c) variables considered significant by experienced clinicians; or (d) the variables considered definitive by the computer programmer. In addition, the complete set of 59 input variables was used. The target variable was the existence of prior MSSA. EXPERIMENTAL INTERVENTIONS: Four training trials were performed with each input set (75% of the data was used for training and 25% for testing). Data was collected from 197 (50 MSSA, 147 non-MSSA) patients hospitalized at Sha'ar Menashe Mental Health Centre. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: BP enhanced with fuzzy logic achieved the most accurate results with the three variables chosen by the programmer (mean +/- SD; sensitivity=97% +/- 3.4%, specificity=69.2% +/- 6.9%), and FALCON trained with 15 variables chosen by an expert clinician obtained the highest sensitivity and specificity (mean +/- SD; sensitivity=94% +/- 6.9%, specificity=69% +/- 6.9%). CONCLUSIONS: A combined system of BP enhanced with fuzzy logic and FALCON may improve the detection rate of MSSA patients during patient interviews. A prospective validation study testing a combined system across 1, 2 and 5-year spans may provide a reliable instrument to aid in the detection of suicide prone psychiatric patients.     

Influence of NO downregulation on oscillatory evoked responses in developing rat superior colliculus

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in neuronal transmission by modulating neurotransmitter release in adults and in stabilizing synaptic connections in developing brains. We investigated the influence of downregulation of NO synthesis on oscillatory components of ON and OFF evoked field potentials in the rat superior colliculus. NO synthesis was decreased by inhibiting nitric oxide synthase (NOS) with an acute microinjection of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). The study focuses on rhythmic activity by analyzing fast Fourier transform (FFT). Collicular responses were recorded in anesthetized rats, at postnatal days (PND) 13-19 and adults. This time window was chosen because it is centered on eye opening. NO downregulation resulted in a dual effect depending on age and response-type. NO synthesis inhibition decreased the magnitude of oscillations in ON responses in the youngest animals (PND13-14), whereas oscillations of frequencies higher than 20 Hz in OFF responses were increased in all age groups of developing rats. In adults NO downregulation increased oscillations in ON responses and decreased oscillations in OFF responses. L-Arginine was used to increase NOS activity and its injection produced effects opposite to those seen with L-NAME. Slow oscillatory components (7-12 Hz) were unaffected in all experiments. Our data together with results reported in the literature suggest that rhythmic patterns of activity are NO-dependent.     

Globin attenuates the innate immune response to endotoxin

Hemoglobin is an endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS)-binding protein that synergistically increases the release of proinflammatory cytokines from the innate immune system in response to LPS. It has been suggested that this activity of hemoglobin facilitates the recognition of Gram-negative bacteria in a wound, thereby maximizing immune efficiency. This synergy may be important to the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of clinical conditions because elevated hemoglobin levels frequently are observed in patients after the transfusion of red cells, trauma, cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, hemolysis, in addition to other disorders. To determine the molecular basis of the specific hemoglobin-LPS synergy, in this article we tested the effects of globin itself on macrophage responses to LPS. Paradoxically, these studies revealed that globin suppressed tumor necrosis factor (TNF) synthesis in LPS-stimulated murine and human macrophage cultures. LPS comigrated with globin on non-denaturing electrophoretic gels, giving direct evidence for binding. Globin specifically inhibited LPS activity in the standard Limulus assay but did not inhibit interleukin-1beta-mediated TNF synthesis. Iron supplementation of macrophage cultures significantly increased interleukin-1beta-induced TNF release. Intraperitoneal administration of globin protected mice against both LPS-induced lethality and experimentally induced bacterial infection. Thus, the heme-iron moiety of hemoglobin, and not the binding of LPS to globin, enhanced macrophage responses to LPS.