Seasonal variation in the acute presentation of urinary calculi over 8 years in Auckland,New Zealand

Study Type – Symptom prevalence (retrospective cohort)
Level of Evidence 2b

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence of acute presentation of urinary calculi (UC) in Auckland, New Zealand, during the period 1999–2007, and whether there was any significant seasonal variation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The details of all UC within the population presenting acutely to public hospitals in Auckland between 1999 and 2007 were collected using clinical coding searches International Classification of Disease 10th revision (Australian Modification) N132 and N20. Climatic variables for the Auckland region were obtained from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand. The mean atmospheric temperature, hours of sunshine and humidity data were calculated monthly for this period.

RESULTS

During the study there were 7668 acute presentations of UC in the Auckland region. A Poisson regression model showed that the number of presentations was significantly related to temperature (P < 0.001) and hours of sunshine (P = 0.004) but not humidity (P = 0.14). For each degree increase in temperature the number of presentations increased by 2.8% (95% confidence interval 1.3–4.3%). For each 1‐h increase in sunshine, the number of presentations increased by 0.2% (0.06–0.33)%.

CONCLUSION

The acute presentation of UC in Auckland, New Zealand, varies significantly with temperature and hours of sunshine. Humidity was not a significant factor.     

Feature development in Cantonese

The phonetic inventories of 122 typically developing Cantonese-speaking children, aged from 0;10 to 4;7, were examined in terms of feature distinctions. The applicability of Dinnsen, Chin, Elbert and Powell's implicational feature hierarchy to these data was investigated. Results show that modifications to the hierarchy are necessary for the Cantonese phonetic system. A revised hierarchy for Cantonese is proposed. Differences between this proposal and the original work are discussed. The implicational nature of the proposed hierarchy was also tested on longitudinal data from ten children (aged from 0;10 to 3;5 at the beginning of the study) over a 1 year period. The proposed hierarchy successfully predicted the route of sound change of these inventories. Implications for further research on feature development are discussed.     

Oestrogen‐mediated phosphorylation and stabilization of BRCA2 protein in breast

Disease‐associated BRCA2 mutations typically result in protein truncations that delete the phosphorylation‐regulated S3291 BRCA2 domain that interacts with Rad51. BRCA2 hereditary breast cancers are usually ER⁺, differing from BRCA1 hereditary cancers, which are usually ER^?. We studied BRCA2 protein expression and S3291 phosphorylation in normal breast tissues and in sporadic breast cancers and observed that BRCA2 is expressed and phosphorylated in normal breast and 10 ER⁺ breast cancers but not in 10 ER^? breast cancers. In order to study this correlation between ER and BRCA2 expression, we studied ER⁺ breast cancer cell lines. We found that a rapid increase in BRCA2 S3291 phosphorylation occurs following 17‐β‐oestradiol (E2) treatment. This increase seen in BRCA2 total and phospho‐S3291 protein levels was found to be unaffected with cycloheximide pre‐treatment, but decreased following tamoxifen, ICI 182,780 or roscovitine treatment. This suggests a requirement for ER and cdk (cyclin‐dependent kinase) in mediating the increased protein levels. MCF7 cell cycle distribution analysis following E2, in both the presence and absence of roscovitine (a cdk inhibitor), did not demonstrate any changes during an 8 h period, which further supports our hypothesis that mitogenic effects of E2 are not predominant at early time points. Studies with MG132 proteasome inhibitor and siRNA to skp2 support a model in which skp2‐mediated proteasomal degradation of BRCA2 rapidly degrades BRCA2 protein in the absence of hormone treatment, which likely inhibits this pathway. E2 was shown to improve survival of MCF7 cells upon radiation treatment and roscovitine partially reversed this effect. We have demonstrated that BRCA2 protein is specifically expressed in ER⁺ breast cancers and are investigating a pathway that may show a link between E2 action and BRCA2 protein function in breast cancer. Copyright © 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Randomized comparative trial between percutaneous longlines and peripheral cannulae in the delivery of neonatal parenteral nutrition

Percutaneously inserted central venous catheters (CVCs) are frequently used for parenteral nutrition (PN) in neonates. Catheter-related sepsis (CRS) is the most commonly reported complication. The aim of this study was to compare sepsis rates between neonates receiving PN by CVC and by peripheral cannula. Neonates were randomized to receive PN either by CVC or by peripheral cannula. Primary outcomes were sepsis rates and efficacy of PN delivery. Interim analysis (49 neonates) revealed no difference in sepsis rates (CVC group 46%, cannula group 40%, p = 0.57). There was a significant discrepancy in PN delivered (median deficit 3.2% in the CVC group, 10.3% in the cannula group, p = 0.0014). After consideration of these findings the study was terminated.     

Perfluorobutane contrast-enhanced ultrasonography: a new standard for ultrasonography-guided thermal ablation of sonographically occult liver tumours?

INTRODUCTIONImage-guided thermal ablation, preferably with ultrasonography (US), is increasingly used for treatment of small liver tumours. Perfluorobutane-contrast-enhanced US (pCEUS) is a promising tool that may allow for targeting of tumours that are otherwise imperceptible on greyscale US. Although pCEUS has been reported to be effective, the literature has been limited outside of Japan and South Korea. We aimed to provide data that supports the use of pCEUS in the thermal ablation of sonographically occult liver tumours.METHODSWe conducted a retrospective single-centre study of 35 consecutive patients who underwent pCEUS-guided ablation of 48 liver tumours with a median size of 1.2 cm. Periprocedural, one-month post-treatment and relevant follow-up imaging studies were reviewed. Electronic records were also obtained, with long-term follow-up data of 12–28 months being available for 32 patients.RESULTS36 (75%) tumours that were imperceptible on greyscale US became visible with pCEUS. Overall, complete tumour ablation at one month was 89%. 1 (3%) patient developed a major complication following treatment, while 6 (17%) had minor post-treatment complaints. The local tumour progression rate was 17%, with a median time of 14 months.CONCLUSIONpCEUS has a role in US-guided thermal ablation of liver tumours, offering a high technical success rate that is comparable to reported data. Additional benefits may include improved procedural time and freedom from ionising radiation.     

Composition-tuned MAPbBr3 nanoparticles with addition of Cs+ cations for improved photoluminescence

Hybrid organic–inorganic lead halide perovskite nanoparticles are promising candidates for optoelectronic applications. This investigation describes the structural and optical properties of MA_xCs_1−xPbBr₃ mixed cation colloidal nanoparticles spanning the complete compositional range of Cs substitution. A monotonic progression in the cubic lattice parameter (a) with changes in the Cs⁺ content confirmed the formation of mixed cation materials. More importantly, time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) revealed the optimized 13 mol% Cs nanoparticle composition exhibits the longest charge carrier lifetime and enhancement in radiative pathways. This sample also showed the highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of ∼88% and displays ∼100% improvement in the PLQY of pure MAPbBr₃ and CsPbBr₃. Prototype LEDs fabricated from MA_0.87Cs_0.13PbBr₃ were demonstrated.

Structural and optical properties of MA_xCs_1−xPbBr₃ mixed cation colloidal nanoparticles with 13 mol% Cs composition exhibiting the longest charge carrier lifetime and enhancement in radiative pathways.     

诊断早期蕈样霉菌病组织学标准的效验--欧洲癌症研究和治疗组织皮肤淋巴瘤研究组的调查报告

为了效验组织病理学标准在诊断早期蕈样霉菌病(ＭＦ)病变中的价值,作者回顾分析了18例患者24次皮肤活检切片,取材时患者处于ＭＦＩａ期。这些病人都具备以下条件:①临床明确诊断ＭＦ或在随后的活检中出现了确切无疑的ＭＦ组织学形态。②通过完整的随访(从起病到发生明显的淋巴瘤,或病人死亡),证明在疾病随后进展中出现了ＭＦ经典“ＡｌｉｂｅｒＢａｚｉｎ”型中典型的斑点、班块、肿瘤期的发展过程。③病人处于Ｉａ期(即局限性斑块、丘疹或湿疹性斑点出现,覆盖面积小于身体表面10%)至少5年。选择13例苔藓样、海绵状及牛皮癣样与ＭＦ相似的病…     

Why do mothers still sun their infants?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of maternal beliefs about the therapeutic uses of sunlight in infancy in tropical Australia. METHODOLOGY: Data were collected by interviewing 114 post-partum patients in Townsville (19 degrees 16'S), Queensland. Each woman was asked a series of open-ended and set-response questions about ancestry, pigmentation, residential history, parity, maternal and paternal education, and beliefs regarding the reputed therapeutic uses of sunlight. RESULTS: Half of the women had at least one risky belief about the perceived benefits of sunning their baby. Thirty-six per cent were in favour of using sunlight to treat neonatal jaundice; 20.2% believed it was necessary to intentionally sun their baby to prevent vitamin D deficiency; and 10.5% thought sunlight was a good remedy for nappy rash. Independent predictors of one or more of these beliefs included maternal age and education level, and having another child that had been treated for jaundice. Forty per cent of multiparous women had sunned a child to treat neonatal jaundice. In most cases, advice to mothers to sun their baby had been given by a midwife/nurse (41% or a doctor/paediatrician (28%). CONCLUSIONS: Post-parturient women had a high prevalence of beliefs that may result in their infant being intentionally exposed to sunlight, and which could increase their child's future risk of skin neoplasia. Midwives and doctors, including paediatricians, were identified as the major professional sources of these beliefs. Professional education is needed to change the beliefs of health professionals who recommend therapies involving sunlight.