Iron absorption from some Asian meals containing contamination iron

Iron absorption was measured from 12 Asian meals using the extrinsic tag method. Up to 50% of the nonheme iron in the meals did not exchange with the added inorganic radioiron tracer. The extent of isotopic exchange, the native iron and the "contamination" iron was measured using a recently developed in vitro method. The results imply that in measurements of iron absorption from meals, especially in developing countries, it is essential to consider the presence of contamination iron and its limited bioavailability.     

Characteristics of pentobarbital discrimination in the gerbil: Transfer and antagonism

Experiment 1. Gerbils were trained in a T-shaped maze to discriminate the effects produced by pentobarbital (P-barb. 15 mg/kg, i.p.) and the effects of saline. The response, a left or right turn in the maze, was thus contingent upon the prevailing training condition (P-barb. or saline). The criterion of performing 8 correct first trial choices in 10 consecutive sessions was reached within 20 training sessions. Tests with descending doses of P-barb. yielded an ED₅₀ of 9 mg/kg. Tests with phenobarbital (40 mg/kg) or diazepam (2 and 4 mg/kg) solely maintained the drug response. P-barb. discrimination was reversed by megimide (ED₅₀: 8.5–9.6 mg/kg) and metrazol (ED₅₀: 24.9–27.9 mg/kg). Thus megimide was approximately 3 times more effective than metrazol. Metrazol (40 and 80 mg/kg) also counteracted the phenobarbital and diazepam response. Picrotoxin (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) was less effective whereas caffeine (100 mg/kg) and piracetam (100–1000 mg/kg) did not upset P-barb. discrimination. Experiment 2. Naive gerbils had to discriminate mixtures of P-barb. (15 mg/kg) plus either 40 or 80 mg/kg of metrazol from saline already at the start of the discriminative training. The drug combinations produced discriminable effects since most gerbils reached the acquisition criterion (8/10), although more slowly than gerbils trained with P-barb. solely. Gerbils trained without a drug stimulus (saline vs. saline) never attained the criterion during 60 consecutive sessions. In conclusion, reversal of established discrimination (Expt. 1) does not necessarily mean that the same drug combination lacks discriminable effects as demonstrated in Experiment 2.     

Intracerebral abscess caused by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum in a renal transplant patient--cured by evacuation plus antibiotic therapy

We present a 50-year-old female who experienced generalized convulsion 3 months after a successful cadaveric renal transplantation. The first cerebral CT scan indicated cerebral frontal infarction. Repeat CT some days later revealed progressive lesions, and a highly malignant tumor or abscess was suspected. Antifungal and broad-spectrum antibacterial therapy was initiated. Cerebral MRI could not differentiate between these conditions, but a neutrophil granulocyte scan strongly suggested an infectious process. A stereotactic puncture of the frontal lobe was followed by temporary improvement. A severe progressive left-sided hemiparalysis gave indication for a craniotomy with evacuation of the abscess 9 days later. Culture of aspirated pus yielded growth of a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium, later identified as Nocardia otitidiscaviarum by sequencing the 16S rRNA. The patient was treated with meropenem plus rifampicin intravenously for 6 weeks followed by oral ciprofloxacin and rifampicin for 2 months. Due to pharmacokinetic interaction with rifampicin, the prednisolone dose was doubled, and the dose of tacrolimus had to be tripled for maintenance of adequate trough concentrations. Five months following cessation of antibiotic treatment, the patient has regained normal strength and function in her left-sided extremities and has a serum creatinine level of about 160 micromol/l (1.8 mg/dl).     

Intensity modulated radiation therapy with electrons using algorithm based energy/range selection methods.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In recent years photon intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has gained attention due to its ability to improve conformity of dose distributions. A potential advantage of electron-IMRT is that the dose fall off in the depth dose curve makes it possible to modulate the dose distribution in the direction of the beam by selecting different electron energies. This paper examines the use of a computer based energy selection in combination with the IMRT technique to optimise the electron dose distribution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One centimetre square electron beamlets ranging from 2.5 to 50 MeV were pre-calculated in water using Monte Carlo methods. A modified IMRT optimisation tool was then used to find an optimum mix of electron energies and intensities. The main principles used are illustrated in some simple geometries and tested on two clinical cases of post-operated ca. mam. RESULTS: It is clearly illustrated that the energy optimisation procedure lowers the dose to lung and heart and makes the dose in the target more homogeneous. Increasing the energy at steep gradients compensates for lack of target coverage at beam edges and steep gradients. Comparison with a clinically acceptable four segment plan indicates the advantage of the used electron IMRT technique. CONCLUSIONS: Using an intensity optimised mix of computer selected electron energies has the potential to improve electron treatments for mastectomy patients with good target coverage and reduced dose to normal tissue such as lung and heart.     

Concordant xenotransplantation--non-vascularized pancreatic islets are more difficult to regraft than the vascularized heart

We have previously demonstrated that it is possible to perform retransplantation of a xenogeneic heart (mouse-to-rat) using cyclosporine A as monotherapy, provided that the first heart is transplanted under a short course of deoxyspergualin (DSG). If DSG is omitted, the first heart is rejected within four days and the second heart succumbs to hyperacute rejection within minutes. A mouse heart as first graft does not protect a consecutive pancreatic islet graft, although the heart continues to function after rejection of the cellular graft. One explanation for this discrepancy may be the fact that cellular grafts, as pancreatic islets, lack an endothelial lining. We have, therefore, further investigated possible differences between vascularized and non-vascularized xenografts regarding their capacity to induce unresponsiveness. The use of pancreatic islets as primary graft neither accelerated nor decelerated the speed of rejection of the vascularized heart used as secondary graft. Furthermore, hemagglutinating and cytotoxic antibody titres responded in the same manner as in naive rats transplanted with a mouse heart. Retransplantation with pancreatic islets also resulted in complete rejection of both the primary and secondary grafts. Thus, the lack of unresponsiveness cannot simply be explained by differences, between the pancreatic and cardiac tissues, in antigen expression. In addition, intraperitoneal transplantation of mouse heart cells as primary graft resulted in rejection of a secondary cardiac graft after three days. However, it cannot be totally excluded that the time of antigen exposure had an impact on these results. In conclusion, our previous and present studies suggest that the presence of an intact vascular bed, both in the first and second graft, is necessary to create a state of unresponsiveness. Because the pancreatic islets lack an endothelial lining, they do not benefit from an unresponsiveness of the immune system. Neither are they able to induce such an unresponsiveness.     

The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and asthma among school children in three different areas of Norway

The role of exposure to ambient air pollution has been a topic of interest as a potential risk factor for respiratory symptoms and asthma. We expected that the prevalence rates would vary in Norway between the capital, Oslo, the mountainous area Hallingdal and the industrial area Odda. Surveys were conducted in school children, aged 6-16 years, in; Oslo (n=2577), Hallingdal (n=1177) and Odda (n=831). The parent-reported prevalence of wheeze in past year was almost similar in Oslo (13. 1 (95% CI 11. 7-14. 5)) and Upper Hallingdal (14. 2 (13. 1–15. 3)), but lower in Odda (9. 0 (7. 0–11. 0)). The findings for severe respiratory symptoms were almost equal. The age patters within each area differed. The risk of wheeze ever (p < 0.001) and wheeze in past year (p=0.04) decreased with increasing age in Odda, while there was an increase in the risk of exercise induced wheeze in Oslo (p=0.02) and Hallingdal (p < 0.001). The lifetime prevalence of asthma was lowest in Odda (5. 4 (3. 8–7. 0)) compared to Oslo (9. 4 (8. 2–10. 6)) and Hallingdal (8. 5 (6. 8–10. 2)). There was a positive association between physical activity and wheeze in past year. The results do not support the hypothesis that respiratory morbidity is more common in urban than rural areas, age and physical activity can influence the prevalence rates of respiratory symptoms in school children.     

Molecular Regulation of Cell Death and Therapeutic Strategies for Cell Death Induction in Prostate Carcinoma

Many of the common molecular alterations associated with prostate cancer progression involve genes known to regulate cell death susceptibility. The significance of these molecular events is discussed in the context of developing and implementing new strategies designed to restore cell death susceptibility in prostate cancer cells and overcome therapeutic resistance.     

Neue Systematik der Epilepsien und aktuelle Therapieempfehlungen

Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde - Die aktuelle Klassifikation der Epilepsien aus dem Jahr 2017 gleicht stark der Version des Jahres 1989. Die Versuche einer Reklassifikation in den Jahren 2001, 2006...     

Risk-Adjusted Cancer Screening and Prevention (RiskAP): Complementing Screening for Early Disease Detection by a Learning Screening Based on Risk Factors

BackgroundRisk-adjusted cancer screening and prevention is a promising and continuously emerging option for improving cancer prevention. It is driven by increasing knowledge of risk factors and the ability to determine them for individual risk prediction. However, there is a knowledge gap between evidence of increased risk and evidence of the effectiveness and efficiency of clinical preventive interventions based on increased risk. This gap is, in particular, aggravated by the extensive availability of genetic risk factor diagnostics, since the question of appropriate preventive measures immediately arises when an increased risk is identified. However, collecting proof of effective preventive measures, ideally by prospective randomized preventive studies, typically requires very long periods of time, while the knowledge about an increased risk immediately creates a high demand for action.SummaryTherefore, we propose a risk-adjusted prevention concept that is based on the best current evidence making needed and appropriate preventive measures available, and which is constantly evaluated through outcome evaluation, and continuously improved based on these results. We further discuss the structural and procedural requirements as well as legal and socioeconomical aspects relevant for the implementation of this concept.