Association of meteorological factors and seasonality with preeclampsia: a 5-year study in northeast of Iran

Background: Preeclampsia is one of the common causes of maternal and fetal mortality, and an important problem of pregnancy. This disorder can cause intracranial hemorrhage, intravascular coagulation, pulmonary edema, liver and renal failures and placental abruption.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of seasonal and monthly changes of weather, humidity and temperature on the incidence rate of preeclampsia according to the conception and delivery times.

Materials and methods: Retrospective analysis of hospital records of 20?520 consecutive singleton live birth pregnancies of 20–42 weeks of gestation during 2002–2008 was performed. After including preeclamptic cases, on the basis of American College of obstetricians and gynecologists (ACOG) criteria, gestational age and time of conception was estimated and the mean relative temperature and humidity of each month was derived from monthly climatological data collection of IRAN METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (IRIMO) between 22 June 2002 and 19 March 2008 (68 months). Statistics of each month’s births were registered separately.

Results: Mean maternal age of 262 qualified singleton pregnant women with preeclampsia out of 20?520 deliveries were 26.48 years old and 85.9% of deliveries were done by cesarean section method. Based on time of conception, the highest prevalence was detected in summer, especially in September (11.06875%) and August (10.3053%) and the lowest prevalence was found in winter and early spring, especially in January (5.7552%) and April (5.7252%).

Conclusion: Seasonal (monthly) variations of the weather (humidity and temperature) have a significant impression on preeclampsia prevalence.     

The effects of folate-conjugated gold nanorods in combination with plasmonic photothermal therapy on mouth epidermal carcinoma cells

The use of lasers has emerged to be highly promising for cancer therapy modalities, most commonly, the photothermal therapy method. Unfortunately, the most common disadvantage of laser therapy is its nonselectivity and requirement of high power density. The use of plasmonic nanoparticles as highly enhanced photoabsorbing agents has thus introduced a much more selective and efficient cancer therapy strategy. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the selective targeting and destruction of mouth epidermal carcinoma cells (KB cells) using the photothermal therapy of folate-conjugated gold nanorods (F-GNRs). Considering the beneficial characteristics of GNRs and overexpression of the folate receptor by KB cells, we selected F-GNRs as a targeted photothermal therapy agent. Cell viability was evaluated using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry using an annexin V–fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide apoptosis detection kit. No cell damage or cytotoxicity from the individual treatment of laser light or F-GNRs was observed. However, a 56 % cell lethality was achieved for KB cells using combined plasmonic photothermal therapy of 20 μM F-GNRs with seven pulses of laser light and 6-h incubation periods. Cell lethality strongly depends on the concentration of F-GNRs and the incubation period that is mainly due to the induction of apoptosis. This targeted damage is due to the F-GNRs present in the cancer cells strongly absorbing near-infrared laser light and rapidly converting it to heat. This new therapeutic avenue for cancer therapy merits further investigation using in vivo models for application in humans.     

Effects of halothane on membrane potential and discharge activity in pairs of bulbar respiratory neurons of decerebrate cats.

In aiming to test the possibility of synaptic interactions, the effect of inhalation of halothane (2% for 90 sec) was studied on 45 out of 88 pairs of respiratory neurons, simultaneously recorded with intracellular and extracellular microelectrodes, in both sides of the ventral respiratory group of decerebrate cats. Halothane produced various effects on these respiratory neurons; namely, depolarization (n = 30) or hyperpolarization (n = 15) of intracellularly recorded neurons, an increase (n = 7) or decrease (n = 38) in the firing of extracellularly recorded neurons. However, with repeated application, the agent produced a consistent effect in a given cell. Spike-triggered averaging of synaptic noise, using spikes of non-antidromically-activated respiratory units, did not reveal any unitary postsynaptic potential but a symmetric synaptic wave of medium-frequency-oscillation (35-50 Hz) in 7 pairs. In addition, power spectral analysis of the membrane potential and spike-interval histogram of the paired neuron, displayed no correlated activity suggestive of synaptic interactions. For all the neuronal pairs examined, halothane produced random effects on their patterns of firing and synaptic waves. The present results suggest that halothane exerts a selective effect on each respiratory neuron and that the lack of a correlated response to application of halothane reflects the lack of synaptic interaction between pairs of bilaterally sampled neurons of the ventral respiratory group.     

Effects of sevoflurane on respiratory activities in the phrenic nerve of decerebrate cats

Although the depressive effect of sevoflurane on ventilation has been reported, its potency and mode of action on the neural respiratory activity is still unclear. Therefore, the effects of sevoflurane on the phrenic nerve discharge and the respiratory timing were compared with those of halothane.
The efferent activity of the phrenic nerve was recorded from decerebrate, un-anesthetized and artificially ventilated cats, and its power spectrum was calculated. The inspiratory and expiratory periods were measured. Sevoflurane and halothane of the doses of 0.5–1.5 MAC were inhaled for 15 min.
With 0.5 MAC, sevoflurane decreased the total power and two dominant spectral components of the high-frequency oscillation and medium-frequency oscillation in the power spectrum. With the same MAC dose, halothane had a greater depressive effect in a normocapnic condition with the vagus nerves being intact. In a state of hypercapnia or after vagotomy, the effect of halothane was considerably attenuated whereas that of sevoflurane remained unaltered. Halothane increased the neural respiratory rate much more than sevoflurane in both normocapme and hypercapnic states. Vagotomy significantly weakened the effect of halothane to increase the respiratory rate but did not modify the effect of sevoflurane. With 1.0–1.5 MAC, both anesthetics severely decreased the phrenic power spectra and the potency difference became indistinct.
The present findings demonstrate that sevoflurane has a weaker depressive effect on the respiratory nerve discharge and a smaller effect on the neural respiratory rate than halothane when the effects of 0.5 MAC were compared. This may be due to the lesser effect of sevoflurane on the vagal mediated and CO₂-related mechanisms which modulate the global outputs of the central respiratory control system.     

191. Untersuchungen zur Effektivität einer Antibiotica-Prophylaxe in der Herzchirurgie

Zusammenfassung Bei 34 Patienten wurde während kardiochirurgischer Eingriffe in EKZ nach Gabe von Cephradin 1 g oder Cefamandol 2 g vor Op.-Beginn Plasma sowie verschiedene Gewebsspiegel zu unterschiedlichen Zeitpunkten bestimmt und in Beziehung zur minimalen Hemmkonzentration gegenüber Staph. aur. und Staph.epid. gesetzt: Die Konzentration im bradytropen Herzklappengewebe lag deutlich höher als im Muskelu. Subcutangewebe. Es waren mindestens über 90 min therapeutisch wirksame Antibiotica-Spiegel nachzuweisen. Diese Antibiotica-Abschirmung sollte lediglich als Kurzzeit-Prophylaxe von 24–48h fortgeführt werden.     

Microiontophoresis of flurazepam on inspiratory and postinspiratory neurons in the ventrolateral medulla of cats: an intracellular study in vivo

Effects of flurazepam on the periodic inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) and on the action of locally applied gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were studied in bulbar respiratory neurons of decerebrate cats using concentric multibarrelled electrodes for intracellular recording and extracellular iontophoresis. Iontophoresis of flurazepam augmented spontaneous IPSPs and increased the hyperpolarization induced by GABA. Iontophoretic application of bicuculline suppressed the action of flurazepam. The reversal potential for spontaneous IPSPs was similar to that for the GABA-response. Intracellular Cl- injection shifted both the IPSP wave and the GABA response in a depolarizing direction. Flurazepam enhanced these depolarizing responses. These results suggest that GABA mediates the postsynaptic inhibition in bulbar respiratory neurons.     

Facial nerve stimulation through Stensen's duct.

We report on a new method of stimulating the facial nerve through Stensen's duct. Electrical resistance of the skin and subcutaneous tissue is one of the major problems of neurophysiological facial nerve testing. To overcome this disadvantage, the authors show that the facial nerve can be stimulated with far less current through Stensen's duct. The NET, ENoG, and antidromic facial nerve responses are recordable at less than a third of the current required for conventional percutaneous stimulation. It is our belief that nerve stimulation through Stensen's duct will be a new and useful method for assessing facial nerve dysfunction in the early stage of palsy.     

A three-day study with miconazole gelatin capsules in vaginal candidosis

One hundred (50 pregnant) women with vaginal candidosis (age range: 14–60 years) inserted 1 gelatin capsule, containing 400 mg of miconazole, into the vagina on 3 consecutive evenings. Excellent results (90–100% cure) were obtained for clinical symptoms (vaginal discharge, pruritus vulvae, dysuria, dyspareunia, eczematous aspect of vulva), microscopic examinations, and Nickerson's cultures. No adverse reactions were reported.     

Poly(vinylsaccharide)s, 5. Synthesis and characterization of poly(vinylsaccharide)s of the amide type with disaccharides in the side chain

The synthesis of well-defined monovinylsaccharide monomers containing disaccharide units is described. Four different monomers, N-disaccharide-substituted acryl- and methacrylamides, were prepared and polymerized to the corresponding polymers by free-radical polymerization in aqueous solution using different initiator systems. The influence of the structural differences of the disaccharide units on the solution properties was studied by viscosity and light scattering measurements. A comparison with known poly(vinylsaccharide)s with monosaccharides in the side chain is made.