Identification of World War II bone remains found in Ukraine using classical anthropological and mitochondrial DNA results

International Journal of Legal Medicine - Gyula Ágner was a Royal Hungarian First Lieutenant (1st Lt.) during the World War II and died at 30 years old due to a mine shrapnel injury...     

Argon blocks the expression of locomotor sensitization to amphetamine through antagonism at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 and mu-opioid receptor in the nucleus accumbens

We investigated the effects of the noble gas argon on the expression of locomotor sensitization to amphetamine and amphetamine-induced changes in dopamine release and mu-opioid neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens. We found (1) argon blocked the increase in carrier-mediated dopamine release induced by amphetamine in brain slices, but, in contrast, potentiated the decrease in KCl-evoked dopamine release induced by amphetamine, thereby suggesting that argon inhibited the vesicular monoamine transporter-2; (2) argon blocked the expression of locomotor and mu-opioid neurotransmission sensitization induced by repeated amphetamine administration in a short-term model of sensitization in rats; (3) argon decreased the maximal number of binding sites and increased the dissociation constant of mu-receptors in membrane preparations, thereby indicating that argon is a mu-receptor antagonist; (4) argon blocked the expression of locomotor sensitization and context-dependent locomotor activity induced by repeated administration of amphetamine in a long-term model of sensitization. Taken together, these data indicate that argon could be of potential interest for treating drug addiction and dependence.     

Antimicrobial activities of novel bipyridine compounds produced by a new strain of Saccharothrix isolated from Saharan soil

The actinobacterium strain ABH26 closely related to Saccharothrix xinjiangensis, isolated from an Algerian Saharan soil sample, exhibited highly antagonist activity against Gram-positive bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. Its ability to produce antimicrobial compounds was investigated using several solid culture media. The highest antimicrobial activity was obtained on Bennett medium. The antibiotics secreted by strain ABH26 on Bennett medium were extracted by methanol and purified by reverse-phase HPLC using a C18 column. The chemical structures of the compounds were determined after spectroscopic (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹H-¹H COSY and ¹H-¹³C HMBC spectra), and spectrometric (mass spectrum) analyses. Two new cyanogriside antibiotics named cyanogriside I (1) and cyanogriside J (2), were characterized along with three known caerulomycins, caerulomycin A (3), caerulomycin F (4) and caerulomycinonitrile (5). This is the first report of cyanogrisides and caerulomycins production by a member of the Saccharothrix genus. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these antibiotics were determined against pathogenic microorganisms.     

软组织损伤引起慢性疼痛的治疗

目的：综述运动系统软组织损伤引起慢性疼痛的各种治疗方法的研究进展。资料来源：应用计算机检索Medline1980—01／2006—04与运动系统软组织损伤引起慢性疼痛的治疗相关文章，检索词“Soft tissue injury，pain．chronic，comprehensive therapy”，并限定文章语言种类为“English”；同时计算机检索中国期刊全文数据库1994—01／2006-04期间的相关文章，检索词“软组织损伤、慢性疼痛、治疗方法”，并限定语言种类为中文。同时手工查阅相关书籍。资料选择：对资料进行初审，所选文献内容符合：①软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛药物治疗的研究。②软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛微创治疗的研究。③软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛运动疗法的研究。④软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛心理治疗的研究。⑤软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛其他疗法的研究。排除重复性研究的文献。资料提炼：共收集到40篇关于软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛治疗方法的文献，均为全文，23篇符合纳入标准，排除17篇重复性研究。同时录入书籍3本。资料综合：软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛的产生是生理、心理及社会因素复杂结合的结果，个体表现差异较大，目前尚无特效治疗方法，常用的治疗方法有：药物治疗、微创治疗、运动疗法、心理治疗、物理疗法及其他疗法。结论：对于软组织损伤引起的慢性疼痛的治疗必须以整体的观点对其进行合理的评估和个体化治疗，才能收到良好的效果。     

Adiposity and physical activity as predictors of cardiovascular mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether cardiovascular mortality related to obesity could be modified by physical activity. DESIGN: Mortality follow-up. SETTING: Population study. PARTICIPANTS: Participants in a health survey: 34 868 women and 32 872 men free from known cardiovascular disease or diabetes at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total cardiovascular mortality. MAIN RESULTS: During 16 years of follow-up, 3026 women and 3526 men had died from cardiovascular causes. In middle age, obesity [body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher] was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death, but the association weakened with age. After 70, there was no association between BMI and cardiovascular death. At all ages, a lower level of physical activity was associated with a higher cardiovascular mortality. In women with high physical activity, indicated by at least 30 min of moderate to vigorous activity more than once a week, cardiovascular mortality was only slightly higher in the obese compared to lean women (adjusted relative risk, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-2.00). In men with high physical activity, cardiovascular mortality was, however, significantly higher among the obese (relative risk, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-2.40). In both genders cardiovascular mortality was substantially higher in obese people who reported no regular physical activity compared to obese people with a high level of physical activity. CONCLUSION: In obese women, being highly active may, to a large extent, compensate for the risk-increasing effect of being obese, whereas in obese men who engage in a high level of physical activity, the risk of cardiovascular death may be higher than in lean and equally active men.     

Hematological malignancy and pregnancy: a single‐institution experience of 21 cases

The incidence of hematological malignancies during pregnancy is low, and treatment in this setting is problematic. This study observed 21 pregnancies in 18 patients with hematological malignancies. Patients’ ages were between 19 and 43 (median 25) years. Two pregnancies ended with spontaneous abortion, one pregnancy ended with in utero death, three therapeutic abortions were carried out, and 15 infants were born alive but three of them died later. The median birth weight was 2.47 kg. Twelve babies survived to a median age of 36 (range 4–117) months. Eight babies were exposed to chemotherapy during the in utero period. One baby was exposed to chemotherapy during all the trimesters and was born prematurely and later died because of intracranial bleeding. Four babies were exposed to chemotherapy during the first trimester, one of them had low birth weight and floating thumb malformation, two of them had only low birth weight, and one was born healthy, but died at 3 months of age as a result of severe gastroenteritis. Two babies were exposed to chemotherapy during the second and third trimesters; one of them had low birth weight, and the other pregnancy ended in in utero death. One infant was exposed to chemotherapy during the third trimester and was born at term, but died because of pulmonary hemorrhage. We concluded that chemotherapy during all trimesters of pregnancy carries a significant risk for an unfavorable outcome.     

Littoral‐cell angioma as a rare cause of splenomegaly

We report the case of a littoral‐cell angioma of the spleen, a recently described benign vascular tumour, whose imaging and pathological characteristics have been discussed only by a few authors. The diagnosis was made after elective splenectomy. The CT images, scintigraphy and histological specimens are presented, and differential diagnoses discussed.