Surface anatomy and surface landmarks for thoracic surgery: Part II

Surface anatomy is an integral part of a thoracic surgeon's armamentarium to assist with the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of thoracic pathology. As reviewed in this article, the surface landmarks of the lungs, heart, great vessels, and mediastinum are critical for appropriate patient care and should be learned in conjunction with classic anatomy.     

Reliability of a shortened version of the Zagazig Depression Scale and prevalence of depression in an Egyptian university student sample

BackgroundThere is some evidence that university students are at higher risk of depression; but rates have been found to vary widely across different countries, and there have been few surveys in representative samples. This study was carried out to assess the reliability of the Arabic-language Zagazig Depression Scale (ZDS) in a sample of Egyptian university students and to use the ZDS to assess the prevalence of depression.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 988 undergraduate students from Assiut University, Egypt (response rate, 82.3%). Prevalence of depressive symptoms was assessed using the ZDS, a self-report Arabic-language version of the Hamilton Rating Scale, modeled on the Carroll Rating Scale for Depression.ResultsParticipants had a mean ZDS score of 17.8 (±9.0) out of a possible maximum score of 46. Using the recommended cutoffs for the ZDS, 37.6% of the students were found to have at least moderate depression, with 71% exceeding the cutoff for mild depression. The internal consistency of the ZDS was excellent (Cronbach α = 0.904), as was the split-half correlation coefficient.ConclusionThis survey revealed a worryingly high rate of depressive symptoms in a representative sample of Egyptian university students. The ZDS is a reliable and acceptable tool for assessing mental health in a university population.     

Comparison of antithrombotic activity of heparin, ASA, sulfinpyrazone and VK 744 in a rat model of arterial thrombosis

Rat carotid arteries were injured electrically (350 V, 2 mA DC for 5 min) before and after the intravenous administration of heparin (1,000 U/kg), VK 744 (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) ASA (100, 200 mg/kg) and sulfinpyrazone (50, 100, 150, 200 mg/kg). Thrombus growth was quantified by recording arterial temperature change distal to the injury. Heparin completely blocked thrombus formation in most experiments. All other agents exhibited antithrombotic activity with sulfinpyrazone being most potent. None was as effective as heparin. This model may be a useful tool for screening antithrombotic drugs.     

Analysis of the functional domains of the mismatch repair homologue Msh1p and its role in mitochondrial genome maintenance

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) repair occurs in all eukaryotic organisms and is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial function. Evidence from both humans and yeast suggests that mismatch repair is one of the pathways that functions in overall mtDNA stability. In the mitochondria of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the presence of a homologue to the bacterial MutS mismatch repair protein, MSH1, has long been known to be essential for mitochondrial function. The mechanisms for which it is essential are unclear, however. Here, we analyze the effects of two point mutations, msh1-F105A and msh1-G776D, both predicted to be defective in mismatch repair; and we show that they are both able to maintain partial mitochondrial function. Moreover, there are significant differences in the severity of mitochondrial disruption between the two mutants that suggest multiple roles for Msh1p in addition to mismatch repair. Our overall findings suggest that these additional predicted functions of Msh1p, including recombination surveillance and heteroduplex rejection, may be primarily responsible for its essential role in mtDNA stability.