Neural stem cells in the subventricular zone are resilient to hypoxia/ischemia whereas progenitors are vulnerable.

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic (H/I) brain injury remains a major cause of neurologic disability. Because we have previously demonstrated that this insult depletes cells from the subventricular zone (SVZ), the goal of the present investigation was to compare the relative vulnerability to H/I of neural stem cells versus progenitors. The dorsolateral SVZs of P6 rats were examined at 2 to 48 hours of recovery from H/I using hematoxylin and eosin, in situ end labeling (ISEL), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence. Pyknotic nuclei and ISEL cells were observed by 4 hours of recovery, peaked at 12 hours, and persisted for at least 48 hours. Many active-caspase-3 cells were observed at 12 hours and they comprised one third of the total TUNEL population. Electron microscopy revealed that hybrid cell deaths predominated at 12 hours of recovery. Importantly, few dying cells were observed in the medial SVZ, where putative stem cells reside, and no nestin medial SVZ cells showed caspase-3 activation. By contrast, active-caspase-3/PSA-NCAM progenitors were prominent in the lateral SVZ. These data demonstrate that early progenitors are vulnerable to H/I, whereas neural stem cells are resilient. The demise of these early progenitors may lead to the depletion of neuronal and late oligodendrocyte progenitors, contributing to cerebral dysgenesis after perinatal insults.     

123I metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy of retinoblastoma: preliminary experience.

123I metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is a radiopharmaceutical used for imaging neural crest tumours. The possibility of using 123I MIBG for imaging retinoblastomas has been assessed in this pilot study. Ten patients were studied, nine with clinically and histologically proved retinoblastomas and one with Coats's disease. 123I MIBG scintigraphy correctly identified the neoplasm in eight patients but gave a negative result in two, one of whom had Coats's disease and the other a retinoblastoma which proved to be extensively necrotic on histological examination. These preliminary results suggest that 123I MIBG scintigraphy may have a role in differentiating retinoblastomas from lesions that simulate them.     

Urothelial reaction to ureteric intubation. A clinical study

Urothelial biopsies from ureters intubated with silicone (11) and other polymer (13) double J stents revealed features of mucous metaplasia in 12/24 cases. These changes were associated with encrustation of the stents and occurred principally in stone-forming patients.     

Der Einfluss der Desinfection mit strömendem und gespanntem Wasserdampf auf verschiedene Kleiderstoffe

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The economics of vein disease

The management of cosmetic vein problems requires a very different approach than that for the majority of most other vascular disorders that occur in a vascular surgery practice. This article focuses on the business aspects of a cosmetic vein practice, with particular attention to the uniqueness of these issues. Managing patient expectations is critical to the success of a cosmetic vein practice. Maneuvering within the insurance can be difficult and frustrating for both the patient and the practice. Practices should use cost accounting principles to evaluate the success of their vein work. Vein surgery--especially if performed within the office--can undergo an accurate break-even analysis to determine its profitability.     

Bactericidal activity of ramoplanin against antibiotic-resistant enterococci.

Ramoplanin, a new lipoglycodepsipeptide antibiotic, was uniformly active against 65 strains of enterococci, including strains highly resistant to vancomycin, penicillin G, and gentamicin. MBCs were usually within a fourfold dilution of the MICs. In time-kill studies, ramoplanin alone demonstrated dose-dependent bactericidal activity against enterococcal strains that resisted killing by vancomycin or penicillin in combination with gentamicin.     

Treatment of Anaerobic Bacterial Infections with Clindamycin-2-Phosphate

Thirty-five patients with a variety of serious infections caused by anaerobic bacteria responded to clindamycin. Cure was achieved in 27 of the 32 patients with pleuropulmonary and intra-abdominal infections. Mean serum concentrations of clindamycin for the 8 h after intramuscular administration of clindamycin in these patients were at least 2.5 times the minimal inhibitory concentration of clindamycin for more than 90% of anaerobes. This experience suggests that clindamycin is an excellent and relatively safe antibiotic for treatment of infection caused by anaerobes when combined with surgery (when indicated) or other antibiotics active against aerobic gram-negative bacilli, if present.     

Educating Health Professionals in Obstetrics and Gynecology Regarding Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Testing in Labor and Delivery: A Local Initiative

Although, the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have advised rapid HIV testing for laboring women of unknown human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status since 2004 to ensure that results are known prior to delivery, physicians and hospital staff have been slow to follow the recommendation. A multi-component intervention was implemented to educate physicians and hospital staff. There was low baseline knowledge (<50% correct) in the areas of HIV prevalence, use of rapid testing in the prevention of perinatal HIV transmission, and treatment. On 9 out of 14 items, participants demonstrated a >35% increase in correct responses from pre-test to 3?month post-test. Baseline knowledge among obstetric health care providers about how to diagnose and treat newly diagnosed pregnant women was low. Brief exposure to an educational program yielded a marked increase in knowledge that was sustained over 3?months. Educating health professionals in obstetrics and gynecology regarding rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in Labor and Delivery: A local initiative.     

Forced vital capacity and maximal respiratory pressures in patients with mild and moderate scoliosis

Lung function and maximal respiratory pressures of 24 adolescent females with mild-to-moderate idiopathic scoliosis (spinal curvature 10-60 degrees) were determined and compared with 38 age- and sex-matched controls. Twelve patients with moderate scoliosis (Cobb angle 35-60 degrees) had significantly reduced mean values for FVC (% predicted) and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), as compared to the controls. Twelve patients with mild scoliosis (Cobb angle less than 35 degrees) had normal mean values for FVC and maximal respiratory pressures, but five individual patients had FVC values less than 80% predicted. All but one of the patients with mild scoliosis had normal MIP values. FVC (% predicted) was significantly correlated with the degree of spinal curvature (r = -0.466; P less than 0.05) but was not related to MIP. These results indicate that reduced FVC values do occur in patients with mild-to-moderate idiopathic scoliosis and suggest that these low FVC values can be attributed to the rib cage deformity rather than to an inability to generate adequate inspiratory pressures.