Investigation of 89 candidate gene variants for effects on all-cause mortality following acute coronary syndrome

Background  

Many candidate genes have been reported to be risk factors for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but their impact on clinical prognosis following ACS is unknown.     

Dynamic imaging of the lungs using x-ray phase contrast

High quality real-time imaging of lungs in vivo presents considerable challenges. We demonstrate here that phase contrast x-ray imaging is capable of dynamically imaging the lungs. It retains many of the advantages of simple x-ray imaging, whilst also being able to map weakly absorbing soft tissues based on refractive index differences. Preliminary results reported herein show that this novel imaging technique can identify and locate airway liquid and allows lung aeration in newborn rabbit pups to be dynamically visualized.     

A multicentre evaluation of the diagnostic efficiency of serological investigations for C1 inhibitor deficiency

AIM: To determine the diagnostic efficiency of assays routinely used in the investigation of hereditary angio-oedema. METHODS: Over a four year period, 1144 samples were received for analysis from 907 patients suspected of C1 inhibitor deficiency. Analyses were performed for C4 and C1 inhibitor (functional and immunochemical). Notes were reviewed retrospectively on patients with low serological indicators to determine diagnosis. RESULTS: These are the first data to indicate the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the assays most frequently used to screen for C1 inhibitor deficiency. A combination of low C4 and low C1 inhibitor function has 98% specificity for C1 inhibitor deficiency in this population and a 96% negative predictive value, and is thus a very effective screen. All patients with untreated C1 inhibitor deficiency had a low C4 value. CONCLUSIONS: All patients considered for a diagnosis of C1 inhibitor deficiency should have serum examined to measure both C4 and functional C1 inhibitor. If either is normal at presentation this essentially excludes a diagnosis of C1 inhibitor deficiency. These tests can be performed sequentially. If C4 is normal it is not necessary to proceed to C1 inhibitor analysis. If C1 inhibitor function and C4 are both low then a repeat sample should be obtained to confirm the findings.     

Detection of clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in the peripheral blood progenitor cells of patients with multiple myeloma: the potential role of purging with CD34 positive selection

Aims—To determine the extent of clonal cell contamination of peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collections in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to assess the purging efficacy of CD34 positive selection.     

Infant Vocalization: An Index of Maternal Attitude Toward the Child

Brief observations of mother-stimulated infant vocalizationwere perform ed during pediatric clinic visits on 4- to 6-month-oldinfants to determine whether mothers with positive attitudestoward the pregnancy and/or the in fant would have infants whovocalized more during clinic visits. Mothers with more positiveattitudes toward the pregnancy, assessed prenatally, had infantswho showed significantly more vocalization during clinic visitsat 5 months, 6 months, and the combination of 5 and 6 months.Mothers with more positive attitudes toward the infant had infantswho showed signcantly more vocalization at 4 months and thecombination of observations at 4 months and 6 months. Resultssuggest that brief observations of vocalization during clinicvisits may be useful as a rough index of the quality of themother-child interaction.