Preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation in patients undergoing lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The impact of short-term preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation on exercise capacity of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer is evaluated. METHODS: A prospective observational study was designed. Inclusion criteria consisted of an indication to lung resection because of a clinical stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer and a chronic obstructive disease on preoperative pulmonary function test. In such conditions, maximal oxygen consumption by a cardio-pulmonary exercise test was evaluated; when this resulted as being < or =15 ml/kg/min a pulmonary rehabilitation programme lasting 4 weeks was considered. Twelve patients fulfilled inclusion criteria, completed the preoperative rehabilitation programme and underwent a new functional evaluation prior to surgery. The postoperative record of these patients was collected. RESULTS: On completion of pulmonary rehabilitation, the resting pulmonary function test and diffuse lung capacity of patients was unchanged, whereas the exercise performance was found to have significantly improved; the mean increase in maximal oxygen consumption proved to be at 2.8 ml/kg/min (p<0.01). Eleven patients underwent lobectomy; no postoperative mortality was noted and mean hospital stay was 17 days. Postoperative pulmonary complication was recorded in 8 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation could improve the exercise capacity of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are candidates for lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer.     

Persistent dizziness after surgical treatment of vertigo: an exploratory study of prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVE: Persistent vertigo and imbalance can occur after surgery for vertigo regardless of surgical approach. This study explored for factors affecting outcome of vertigo surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Patient survey and chart review. SETTING: Tertiary referral neurotologic private practice. PATIENTS/INTERVENTION: Of 111 patients (57.7% female; mean age, 52.3 yr), 59 underwent vestibular nerve section (middle fossa, retrolabyrinthine, and translabyrinthine), 25 underwent transmastoid labyrinthectomy, and 27 underwent endolymphatic sac shunt. Eighty-three percent had Ménière's disease. Mean follow-up was 4.3 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes included American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) vertigo score and class, number of spells per month, current and change in AAO-HNS disability rating, vertigo and imbalance severity ratings, and frequency of imbalance. RESULTS: Three preoperative factors were consistently related to outcome: AAO-HNS disability rating, imbalance frequency rating, and duration of first symptom ([rho] = 0.19-0.51; all p's < 0.05). Greater disability and more frequent imbalance related to poorer outcome, but longer duration of disease related to better outcome. Presurgery vertigo characteristics were generally not related to outcome. Ménière's patients were more likely to have improvement in imbalance, as were those with no other significant disease and no allergy. The presence of tinnitus in the contralateral ear was associated with poorer outcomes, including a lower rate of results of Classes A and B (p = 0.023). Vertigo as a first symptom and the presence of eye disease also showed relationships to poorer outcome. CONCLUSION: Those rating themselves as more disabled before surgery are less likely to achieve the best outcomes, whereas frequency and severity of preoperative vertigo are not predictive. Several possible prognostic factors were identified that warrant future prospective study.     

El cultivo celular en la investigación básica del cáncer de mama

Resumen La técnica del cultivo celular es la que ha permitido conocer el comportamientoin vitro de las células cancerosas. En esta revisión pretendemos introducir las peculiaridades básicas del cultivo celular, referido especialmente a líneas cancerosas mamarias, relacionar el origen de las líneas celulares más utilizadas en la investigación de este cáncer, mencionar las técnicas de laboratorio que pueden aplicarse sobre estos cultivos y ejemplificar la utilidad de las mismas, tomando como modelo diversos trabajos que estudian los efectos del factor de crecimiento epidérmico sobre líneas celulares hormonoindependientes de cáncer de mama.      

Validation of a screening questionnaire for hip and knee osteoarthritis in old people

Background  

To develop a sensitive and specific screening tool for knee and hip osteoarthritis in the general population of elderly people.     

Neurosurgical robotics: a review of brain and spine applications

Neurosurgery has traditionally been at the forefront of advancing technologies, adapting new techniques and devices successfully in an effort to increase the safety and efficacy of brain and spine surgery. Among these adaptations are surgical robotics. This paper reviews some of the more promising systems in neurosurgical robotics, including brain and spine applications in use and in development. The purpose of the discussion is twofold—to discuss the most promising models for neurosurgical applications, and to discuss some of the pitfalls of robotic neurosurgery given the unique anatomy of the brain and spine.     

Transmitter Release Associated with Long-term Synaptic Depression in Rat Corticostriatal Slices

Using a corticostriatal slice preparation, we have recently shown that tetanic stimulation of the corticostriatal pathway produces long-term depression (LTD) of striatal excitatory synaptic transmission. In the present study we have analysed the relationship between LTD and the striatal release of different endogenous transmitters. Samples of perfusate were collected via a small cannula placed just above the surface of the striatal slice close to the recording electrode, and were analysed by HPLC. The high-frequency stimulation (100 Hz, three trains, 3 s duration, 20 s intervals) used to induce LTD caused a significant but transient increase in the release of both excitatory (aspartate and glutamate) and inhibitory (glycine and GABA) amino acid transmitters. Tetanic stimulation also produced a significant, but transient increase in the release of endogenous dopamine. We conclude that the tetanic stimulation of the corticostriatal pathway is able to induce a large but transient release of excitatory amino acids and of dopamine, whose participation in the induction of striatal LTD has been demonstrated previously. Moreover, the maintenance of this form of synaptic plasticity does not seem to require a sustained change in transmitter release.     

Suppression of B cell differentiation by ligation of membrane-bound IgM

Using B cells from the transgenic mouse line B6-Sp6 and control littermates, stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) under novel culture conditions that provide for the response of all B cells, we show here that specific ligation of the surface IgM molecules always results in inhibition of terminal differentiation and immunoglobulin secretion by activated cells, regardless of the ligand. Thus, monoclonal antibodies to (a) the CH region of Ig (anti-μ. and anti-allotype), (b) the Cx region, (c) the V region (anti-idiotype) of surface IgM, as well as (d) multivalent antigen (2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-bovine serum albumin), all show similar effects and dose-response curves. IgD-negative transgenic B cells are equally sensitive to IgM ligation-dependent inhibition, as control (IgD-positive) B cells. The allotype specificity of this inhibition, assessed by using anti-u, allotype reagents to inhibit and assay the responses, suggests that B cells expressing transgenic or endogenous IgM in transgenic B6-Sp6 mice are largely independent populations. These observations establish that anti-IgM antibodies in conjunction with appropriate LPS stimulation, provide a universal model system for functional characterization of B cell responses.     

Alcohol Intake and Withdrawal: Effects on Branched Chain Amino Acids and Alanine

The effects of chronic alcohol consumption on plasma branched chain amino acids and alanine concentrations were evaluated, and basal blood concentrations of these amino acids were determined after chronic ethanol intake and following a withdrawal period in 30 admitted alcoholics. After ethanol intake, alcoholics showed increased branched chain amino acid concentrations; the blood alanine concentrations were depressed after the withdrawal period. To evaluate the effect of ethanol on diurnal variations of these amino acids in the blood, a group of these patients underwent two isocaloric diets with and without wine. The diet with alcohol induced a sustained increase of branched chain amino acids persisting even after the postprandial phase with a decrease of alanine as compared to the diet without.