Ultrasound evaluation of the abductor hallucis muscle: Reliability study

Background

The Abductor hallucis muscle (AbdH) plays an integral role during gait and is often affected in pathological foot conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the within and between-session intra-tester reliability using diagnostic ultrasound of the dorso-plantar thickness, medio-lateral width and cross-sectional area, of the AbdH in asymptomatic adults.

Methods

The AbdH muscles of thirty asymptomatic subjects were imaged and then measured using a Philips HD11 Ultrasound machine. Interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to calculate both within and between session intra-tester reliability.

Results

The within-session reliability results demonstrated for dorso-plantar thickness an ICC of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.99–0.99); medio-lateral width an ICC: of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.92–0.97) and cross-sectional area an ICC of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.98–0.99). Between-session reliability results demonstrated for dorso-plantar thickness an ICC of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95 to 0.98); medio-lateral width an ICC of 0.94 (95% CI 0.90 to 0.96) and for cross-sectional area an ICC of 0.79 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.88).

Conclusion

Diagnostic ultrasound has the potential to be a reliable tool for evaluating the AbdH muscle in asymptomatic subjects. Subsequent studies may be conducted to provide a better understanding of the AbdH function in foot and ankle pathologies.     

Cell growth in plant cultures: An interpretation of the influence of initial weight in cadmium and copper toxicity tests

An approach is presented for conducting and interpreting results of newly established plant cell culture in toxicity studies. Extended culturing produces uniform suspension and facilitates sampling. Primary (new) cultures are more representative of responses of their plant species but produce nonuniform suspension due to clumping and clumping presents unavoidable sampling difficulties. Evaluations were made of the response of plant cell suspension in primary cultures subjected to metal stress in three differente experiment. Sampling and data interpretation were examined in detail, using mathematical models. Cells were selected from callus cultures of Medicago sativa and green Mandevilla pohliana for experiments using copper and from non-green Mandevilla pohliana for an experiment using cadmium. Distributions of as many as 21 elements in soluble and cell-residue compartments were determined. The interaction of treatment with copper and element distribution was emphasized. Culture status was traced microscopically and growth measured as change in cell fresh weight. The initial weight of each culture replicate could not be held constant due to non-uniform suspension. A mathematical model that described the interactions of the initial weight, exposure time, and metal concentrations was developed to analyze the data. The model revealed stimulation of cell growth when subjected to low concentration of copper and no-growth stimulation with low or moderate concentrations of cadmium. This finding resolves some of the confusion in the literature relative to the effect of low doses of cadmium.     

Perioperative complications with the bone-anchored hearing aid.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss perioperative complications associated with the bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) and their management. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective review of 58 patients who underwent implantation of BAHA for unilateral conductive, mixed, or sensorineural hearing losses was performed at a tertiary referral center. RESULTS: Between September 2003 and June 2005, 58 patients underwent implantation of a BAHA. There were 30 female and 28 male patients, with a mean age of 48 years (range 8-80 years). Complications occurred in 19% (11/58) of patients. Most adverse events were seen early in the series. The most common complication, partial or complete loss of the skin graft, occurred in 10% (6/58) of patients. These were managed successfully with local wound care. Five percent (3/58) of patients had skin growth over the abutment. Two of these cases were managed with office debridement, whereas 1 patient required revision under general anesthesia. There was implant extrusion in 3% (2/58) of patients, and both of these patients later underwent successful reimplantation. All patients had their implant activated 3 months after surgery. There were no perioperative or postoperative deaths. CONCLUSION: Complications related to BAHA implantation are relatively minor and usually involve partial or complete loss of the skin graft. Most complications were successfully managed in the office.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of levofloxacin derivatives with certain bulky residues on piperazine ring

A number of levofloxacin analogues carrying a 2-aryl-2-oxoethyl or a 2-aryl-2-oxyiminoethyl moiety attached to the piperazine ring at C-10 position have been prepared and evaluated as antibacterial agents against a series of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Some of them exhibited significant inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria.     

Adherence of L1210 murine leukemia cells to sephacryl- aminopropylcobalamin beads treated with transcobalamin-II

Sephacryl beads containing an immobilized aminopropylcobalamin- transcobalamin-II complex serve as foci for the adherence of L1210 murine leukemia cells. Bead-cell interaction does not occur when (A) nonderivatized beads are used; (B) transcobalamin-II is omitted or presaturated with cyanocobalamin in the preparation of the bead complex; (C) intrinsic factor replaces transcobalamin-II; and (D) the complex is removed from beads by photolysis. These observations suggest that adherence results from the ability of transcobalamin-II to form a bridge between immobilized cobalamin on the bead and receptors in the plasma membrane of the cell.     

Hematopoietic progenitors and interleukin-3-dependent cell lines synthesize histamine in response to calcium ionophore

The calcium ionophore A23187 promotes histamine synthesis in murine bone marrow cells by increasing the expression of mRNA encoding histidine decarboxylase (HDC), the histamine-forming enzyme. The cells responsible for this biological activity copurify with hematopoietic progenitors in terms of density, light scatter characteristics, and rhodamine retention, similar to interleukin (IL) 3-induced histamine- producing cells. Yet, the effect of calcium ionophore is not mediated by IL-3. The most purified rhodamine-bright bone marrow subset contains 80% cells that respond to calcium ionophore by increased HDC mRNA expression. This high frequency makes the involvement of one particular progenitor subset in histamine synthesis unlikely. The finding that all IL-3-dependent cell lines tested so far exhibit increased histamine production and HDC mRNA expression in response to calcium influx lends further support to this notion. Cell lines requiring other growth factors or proliferating spontaneously lack this ability. Finally, it should be noted that IL-3-dependent cell lines do not produce histamine in response to their growth factor. It might, therefore, be suggested that the pathway transducing the signal for increased histamine synthesis after IL-3 receptor binding in normal hematopoietic progenitors is modified in these cell lines.