Right-sided asymmetry in sensitivity to tickle

Doyen and Carlier (2002) reported peg-moving performance in a sample of French adults classified in the hand preference subgroups of Annett (1970, 1985). The findings were said to differ from those for English samples. This paper describes new analyses of English data, drawn from schools and universities. Comparison of the school and university samples showed that relationships between hand skill asymmetry and subgroup handedness were reliable, but also revealed a new finding. Asymmetries were stronger in the school than university samples at all levels of hand preference. The French findings resembled those for the English university sample for all measures and for all subgroups except right-handed writers with strong left tendencies. The performance of the latter in the French sample was like that of left-handers rather than right-handers. An explanation might be that some members of this group were left-handers who had been forced to use the right hand for writing.     

Observations on Degenerative Changes Within the Optic Nerve in Patients With Primary Open Glaucoma and Arterial Hypertension: 6-Month Follow-Up

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012;14:701–710. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The authors aimed to determine the effect of the time of hypotensive drug administration on the progress of degenerative changes within the optic nerve in patients with hypertension and glaucoma. Two groups were included in the study: group A comprised patients-dippers taking drugs in the mornings, and group B comprised patients-nondippers taking drugs both in the mornings and in the evenings. After 6 months, group B showed significant drops in nocturnal diastolic blood pressure (BP) (month 1=73.27 mm Hg vs month 6=67.50 mm Hg), nocturnal mean BP (89.34 vs 84.65 mm Hg), and minimum diastolic BP (50.74 vs 44.03 mm Hg). Group B also showed significant reductions in nocturnal ocular perfusion pressure (43.0 vs 39.73), retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (131.31 vs 113.12 μm), and flow in the eye vessels. Taking hypotensive drugs in the evening may significantly decrease blood flow in the eye arteries, cause degenerative changes within the optic nerves, and result in greater loss in the field of vision.     

Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in meristematic cells of the root of Vicia faba

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an organic solvent with several biological applications. It is extensively used to dissolve compounds that hardly dissolve in water to detect their genotoxic activity in vitro. In this study DMSO will be tested to determine its genotoxic potential. The effect of DMSO on the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in anaphase as well as DNA fragmentation through the comet assay has been evaluated in the meristematic cells of the root tips of Vicia faba. It has been observed that the frequency of chromosomal aberrations increases when the concentration of DMSO increases, reaching its maximum value with 20% of DMSO and decreasing at 30 and 40% of DMSO, in comparison to this maximum value, but significantly higher than the values observed in the control. Similarly, the percentage of fragmentation and damage index evaluated through the comet assay showed the same behavior; some of the possible mechanisms of action are discussed.     

Tapentadol – A representative of a new class of MOR-NRI analgesics

Tapentadol is a centrally acting analgesic with a dual mode of action as a μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist and a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (NRI). It was initially approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in November 2008 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain in adult patients, and in August 2011, for chronic pain in an prolonged release form in the same population. Due to its limited protein binding capacity, the absence of active metabolites and significant microsomal enzyme induction or inhibition, tapentadol has a limited potential for drug–drug interactions. It appears to be well-tolerated and effective in the treatment of moderate-to severe acute and chronic pain. Owing to its dual mechanism of action, it is hypothesized to be good option in the treatment of both nociceptive and neuropathic pain.     

Tigecycline Potentiates Clarithromycin Activity against Mycobacterium avium In Vitro

The in vitro activities of clarithromycin and tigecycline alone and in combination against Mycobacterium avium were assessed. The activity of clarithromycin was time dependent, highly variable, and often resulted in clarithromycin resistance. Tigecycline showed concentration-dependent activity, and mycobacterial killing could only be achieved at high concentrations. Tigecycline enhanced clarithromycin activity against M. avium and prevented clarithromycin resistance. Whether there is clinical usefulness of tigecycline in the treatment of M. avium infections needs further study.