Pseudo-exfoliation pattern on posterior IOL

Extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber lens implantation was performed in a 75-year-old man. Eight months later PE syndrome had developed with a distinct peripheral band on the anterior surface of the pseudophacos. This case clearly shows that the peripheral band is added to the lens surface from outside, and is not derived from the lens epithelium.     

Cutaneous signs of Noonan's syndrome. Apropos of a case with ulerythema ophyogenes, disseminated pilar and sudoral keratosis and progressive alopecia

A case of typical Noonan syndrome (NS) with eye abnormalities, pterygium colli, cryptorchid testes, lymphoedema and asymmetrical cardiac septal hypertrophy is reported in a 8-month old infant. This case was particularly interesting since it included skin manifestations which enabled an early diagnosis to be made. Ulerythema ophryogenes has already been proposed as a cutaneous marker of NS, but the keratinization disorders in our patient also included disseminated keratosis of both hair follicles and sweat glands orifices. Abnormally brittle short curly hair has already been reported, but our patient exhibited progressive alopecia which is very rare in NS. Biochemical hair analysis did not show any abnormalities of aminoacids. All these features were suggestive of keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans. It therefore seems very likely that NS is associated with keratinization disorders but ulerythema ophryogenes might only be the limited form of these disorders. The other skin manifestations of NS are reviewed. Since the patient had 4 "café au lait" spots, the relation of NS with Von Recklinghausen syndrome, and neurofibromatosis-Noonan syndrome is discussed. Watson's Leopard and cardio-facial syndromes overlap with, and may represent subsets of NS.     

Can personal qualities of medical students predict in-course examination success and professional behaviour? An exploratory prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Over two-thirds of UK medical schools are augmenting their selection procedures for medical students by using the United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT), which employs tests of cognitive and non-cognitive personal qualities, but clear evidence of the tests' predictive validity is lacking. This study explores whether academic performance and professional behaviours that are important in a health professional context can be predicted by these measures, when taken before or very early in the medical course. METHODS: This prospective cohort study follows the progress of the entire student cohort who entered Hull York Medical School in September 2007, having taken the UKCAT cognitive tests in 2006 and the non-cognitive tests a year later. This paper reports on the students' first and second academic years of study. The main outcome measures were regular, repeated tutor assessment of individual students' interpersonal skills and professional behaviour, and annual examination performance in the three domains of recall and application of knowledge, evaluation of data, and communication and practical clinical skills. The relationships between non-cognitive test scores, cognitive test scores, tutor assessments and examination results were explored using the Pearson product--moment correlations for each group of data; the data for students obtaining the top and bottom 20% of the summative examination results were compared using Analysis of Variance. RESULTS: Personal qualities measured by non-cognitive tests showed a number of statistically significant relationships with ratings of behaviour made by tutors, with performance in each year's objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), and with themed written summative examination marks in each year. Cognitive ability scores were also significantly related to each year's examination results, but seldom to professional behaviours. The top 20% of examination achievers could be differentiated from the bottom 20% on both non-cognitive and cognitive measures. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows numerous significant relationships between both cognitive and non-cognitive test scores, academic examination scores and indicators of professional behaviours in medical students. This suggests that measurement of non-cognitive personal qualities in applicants to medical school could make a useful contribution to selection and admission decisions. Further research is required in larger representative groups, and with more refined predictor measures and behavioural assessment methods, to establish beyond doubt the incremental validity of such measures over conventional cognitive assessments.     

Synthetic oleanane and ursane triterpenoids with modified rings A and C: a series of highly active inhibitors of nitric oxide production in mouse macrophages

We have designed and synthesized 16 new olean- and urs-1-en-3-one triterpenoids with various modified rings C as potential antiinflammatory and cancer chemopreventive agents and evaluated their inhibitory activities against production of nitric oxide induced by interferon-gamma in mouse macrophages. This investigation revealed that 9(11)-en-12-one and 12-en-11-one functionalities in ring C increase the potency by about 2-10 times compared with the original 12-ene. Subsequently, we have designed and synthesized novel olean- and urs-1-en-3-one derivatives with nitrile and carboxyl groups at C-2 in ring A and with 9(11)-en-12-one and 12-en-11-one functionalities in ring C. Among them, we have found that methyl 2-cyano-3, 12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oate (25), 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) (26), and methyl 2-carboxy-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oate (29) have extremely high potency (IC(50) = 0.1 nM level). Their potency is similar to that of dexamethasone although they do not act through the glucocorticoid receptor. Overall, the combination of modified rings A and C increases the potency by about 10 000 times compared with the lead compound, 3-oxooleana-1,12-dien-28-oic acid (8) (IC(50) = 1 microM level). The selected oleanane triterpenoid, CDDO (26), was found to be a potent, multifunctional agent in various in vitro assays and to show antiinflammatory activity against thioglycollate-interferon-gamma-induced mouse peritonitis.     

Non-Targeted Dried Blood Spot-Based Metabolomics Analysis Showed Rice Bran Supplementation Effects Multiple Metabolic Pathways during Infant Weaning and Growth in Mali

Rice bran contains essential nutrients, antioxidants, and bioactives with anti-inflammatory and diarrheal protective properties important for infants. This 6-month randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of heat-stabilized rice bran supplementation during Malian infant weaning. Fifty healthy 6-month-old infants were randomized to a rice bran intervention (N = 25) or non-intervention control group (N = 25). Intervention infants received dose-escalating rice bran supplementation for 6 months (1–5 g/day). Monthly infant dried blood spot and anthropometric measurements were collected. Dried blood spot metabolite abundances were compared monthly according to diet for six months. Supplementation resulted in favorable weight-for-age and weight-for-length z-score changes. Non-targeted dried blood spot-based metabolomics identified 796 metabolites, of which 33% had significant fold differences between groups (7–12 months). Lipids and amino acids represented 70.6% of the metabolites identified. Rice bran supplementation during infant weaning significantly modulated the metabolites involved in antioxidant defenses and with neuroactive properties including reduced glutathione, glycine, glutamate, cysteinylglycine, tryptophan betaine, and choline. These findings support rice bran as a weaning ingredient to meet infant nutritional requirements and with the potential to reduce oxidative stress and improve cognitive outcomes. This study provides evidence for dried blood spots as a cost-effective tool to detect infant biomarkers of nutritional and metabolic status.     

The visibility of the 1H NMR signal of ethanol in the dog brain

In vivo, high-resolution, volume-selected 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to monitor the concentration of ethanol in the dog brain following intravenous injection of ethanol. Equilibration of ethanol in the body water should result in approximately equivalent concentrations of ethanol in the blood and brain. However, the mean equilibrium brain ethanol concentration determined using N-acetylaspartate as an internal standard was only 23 +/- 5% of the blood ethanol concentration. The disparity between blood and brain ethanol concentrations was attributed to underestimation of the ethanol concentration due to overlapping resonances with NAA and to T2 attenuation or possible nondetection of the 1H signal from ethanol bound at the surface of cell membranes and partitioned into the hydrophobic core of membrane lipids.     

The hemodynamic action of effective doses of sustak in patients with stenocardia of effort

Forty patients with associated coronary disease and angina pectoris of effort were examined for the action on the central hemodynamics and circulation of the effective doses of sustac chosen by means of paired bicycle ergometries. Sustac produced a decrease of the cardiac index, systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery and in the aorta, reduction of the blood flow time along pulmonary circulation veins, aorta Sustac was discovered to have an antianginal effect under the conditions of pre- and afterload lowering.