On the psychosocial dimension of the IPPNW meeting in Coventry

Science and Conscience

In the Shadow of the Bomb: Oppenheimer, Bethe, and the Moral Responsibility of the Scientist By Silvan S. Schweber Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ, 2000, 260 pp., £15.95, ISBN 0–691–04989–0.

Sanctions

Iraq Under Siege: The Deadly Impact of Sanctions and War Edited by Anthony Amove Pluto, London, 2000, 224 pp., £10.99 pbk. ISBN 0–7453–16S9‐X, £35.00 hbk, ISBN 0–7453–1660–3.

Nurses at War

Nurses at War: Women on the Frontline 1939–45 By Penny Starns Sutton, Stroud, 2000, xvii + 174 pp., £19.99 hbk, ISBN 0–7509–23873.

Peace Education

Saying No to Violence — Children and Peace: Activities for a Peaceful World By Jan Melichar and Margaret Melicharova Peace Pledge Union, London, 2000, 58 pp., £9.99, ISBN 0–902680–46–3.     

Structural basis for the constitutive activity and immunomodulatory properties of the Epstein-Barr virus-encoded G protein-coupled receptor BILF1

1. Download : Download high-res image (215KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Septicaemia and meningitis with campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis

Summary Two cases of infection with Campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis are reported. In a 46-year-old farmer the development of septicaemic campylobacteriosis with acute gastroenterocolitis was favoured by malnutrition due to chronic alcoholism. After treatment with erythromycin the patient recovered completely. The second patient, a 40-year-old worker with meningitis, recovered after combined streptomycin-erytromycin therapy. In both patients antibiodies against homologous and reference strains of Campylobycter fetus subspecies intestinalis, serotype 1 (Mitscherlich) were demonstrated in titres ranging from 1 : 16 to 1 : 64 by type the complement-fixation test.

---

Sepsis und Meningitis durch Campylobacter fetus Subspezies intestinalis

Zusammenfassung Zwei Fälle von Campylobacter fetus-Infektion mit Sepsis und Meningitis wurden beobachtet. Bei einem 46jährigen Bauern wurde eine septische Campylobacteriosis durch extreme Mangelernährung infolge von chronischem Alkoholismus begünstigt. Die Therapie mit Erythromycin war erfolgreich. Der andere Patient war ein 40jähriger Arbeiter mit Meningitis; auch dieser hat nach einer kombinierten Erythromycin- und Streptomycinkur das Krankenhaus gesund verlassen. Das Serumantikörpertiter war 1 : 16 bis 1 :64 in der Komplementbindungsreaktion gegen Homologe und Referenzstämme der Campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis serotype I (Mitscherlich).

     

Evaluation of the Glasgow coma scale score in critically Ill infectious disease patients

Summary In this prospective study the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was evaluated in 107 critically ill infectious disease (ID) patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) during a 1-year period. Patients were separated into two groups: those affected by central nervous system (CNS) infections and those affected by infections other than of the CNS. There were no apparent differences in the first ICU day GCS score values between the two groups (11±4 vs. 11±4, p=0.5318). Univariate logistic regression analysis confirmed a significant relationship between the first ICU day GCS score and the subsequent ICU mortality in the group of patients with CNS infections (r=0.3152, p=0.0015) but not in the group with infections not affecting the CNS (r=0.0919, p=0.1106). Our preliminary results suggest that the prognostic value of the GCS score is valid only in patients with CNS infections but not in other ID patients.

---

Evaluierung der Glasgow Coma Skala bei schwerkranken Patienten mit Infektionen

Zusammenfassung Die Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) wurde bei 107 schwerkranken Patienten mit Infektionen im Rahmen einer prospektiven Studie evaluiert. Es handelte sich um Patienten, die während eines Jahres in der Intensivpflegestation behandelt wurde. Sie wurden nach dem Vorliegen oder nicht Vorliegen einer Infektion des Zentralnervensystems in zwei Gruppen eingeteilt. In den GCS-Scores am ersten Tag der Intensivpflegebehandlung wiesen die beiden Gruppen keine Unterschiede auf (11±4 und 11±4; p=0,5318). Die logistische Regressionsanalyse für eine Variable deckte eine signifikante Beziehung zwischen dem GCS Punktewert am ersten Tag und der folgenden Sterberate bei Patienten mit ZNS-Infektionen auf (r=0,3152; p=0,0015). Bei Patienten, deren Infektion das ZNS nicht betraf, war eine derartige Beziehung nicht zu erkennen (r=0,0919; p=0,1106). Diese vorläufigen Ergebnisse lassen darauf schließen, daß der Glasgow Coma Score nur bei Patienten mit ZNS-Infektionen eine valide Funktion hat, nicht aber bei Patienten mit anderen Infektionen.

     

Food allergy,asthma bronchiale,and rhinitis in atopic dermatitis patients with total immunoglobulin E under and above 200 IU/ml

The objective of this study is to evaluate if there is a difference in the occurrence of asthma bronchiale, rhinitis, pollen allergy, food allergy and sensitization to basic food allergens, onset of atopic dermatitis (AD), family history about atopy, and duration of eczematic lesions in AD patients with the level of total immunoglobulin E (IgE) under or above 200 IU/ml. Complete allergological and dermatological examination was performed and the statistical evaluation of the relations among the patients with the level of IgE under 200 IU/ml and above 200 IU/ml was performed. Out of 277 patients suffering from AD, we included 87 men and 190 women; the average age was 25.9 years. From 277 patients, 92 patients (33%) have IgE under 200 IU/ml; in these patients, the occurrence of tested parameters is significantly lower in comparison to patients with IgE above 200 IU/ml.     

3D–2D registration in endovascular image-guided surgery: evaluation of state-of-the-art methods on cerebral angiograms

Purpose

Image guidance for minimally invasive surgery is based on spatial co-registration and fusion of 3D pre-interventional images and treatment plans with the 2D live intra-interventional images. The spatial co-registration or 3D–2D registration is the key enabling technology; however, the performance of state-of-the-art automated methods is rather unclear as they have not been assessed under the same test conditions. Herein we perform a quantitative and comparative evaluation of ten state-of-the-art methods for 3D–2D registration on a public dataset of clinical angiograms.

Methods

Image database consisted of 3D and 2D angiograms of 25 patients undergoing treatment for cerebral aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations. On each of the datasets, highly accurate “gold-standard” registrations of 3D and 2D images were established based on patient-attached fiducial markers. The database was used to rigorously evaluate ten state-of-the-art 3D–2D registration methods, namely two intensity-, two gradient-, three feature-based and three hybrid methods, both for registration of 3D pre-interventional image to monoplane or biplane 2D images.

Results

Intensity-based methods were most accurate in all tests (0.3 mm). One of the hybrid methods was most robust with 98.75% of successful registrations (SR) and capture range of 18 mm for registrations of 3D to biplane 2D angiograms. In general, registration accuracy was similar whether registration of 3D image was performed onto mono- or biplanar 2D images; however, the SR was substantially lower in case of 3D to monoplane 2D registration. Two feature-based and two hybrid methods had clinically feasible execution times in the order of a second.

Conclusions

Performance of methods seems to fall below expectations in terms of robustness in case of registration of 3D to monoplane 2D images, while translation into clinical image guidance systems seems readily feasible for methods that perform registration of the 3D pre-interventional image onto biplanar intra-interventional 2D images.

     

Oral cadmium exposure during rat pregnancy: assessment of transplacental micronutrient transport and steroidogenesis at term

Diet is the main source of cadmium (Cd) exposure. Gastrointestinal absorption increases during pregnancy. Cadmium accumulated in the placenta may interfere with nutrient transport to the foetus. Data on the potential of Cd to act as a steroid disruptor of pregnancy are limited. We evaluated the effects of oral Cd exposure during pregnancy on placental function in micronutrient transfer to the foetus and steroidogenesis in Wistar rats (regular 4‐day cyclers) that mated with unexposed males. Pregnant rats were randomly assigned to a Cd group exposed orally to 50 mg Cd l^–1 (CdCl₂xH₂O dissolved in demineralized water), ≈7.5 mg Cd kg^–1 a day, during 20 days of gestation and control (supplied with demineralized water). Non‐pregnant rats were treated under the same experimental conditions. On day 20, all of the rats were killed and samples were taken for element analyses (by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry). Progesterone and testosterone were measured in serum and placenta‐derived samples (by immunoenzymometric assay and/or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay). In the exposed rats, Cd increased in blood and organs, more in pregnant rats, and in placenta and foetus whereas zinc increased in liver. Iron decreased in maternal organs and in foetus, whereas zinc decreased in maternal kidney and placenta. Liver copper was lower and kidney copper higher in all pregnant vs. non‐pregnant rats. Steroids in serum and placenta did not change. In conclusion, oral Cd exposure during rat pregnancy does not affect progesterone and testosterone at term. Transplacental iron and zinc handover are disrupted, which may put at risk the maintenance of foetal nutrition and viability. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in plants and their role in uptake and biotransformation of veterinary drugs in the environment

Many various xenobiotics permanently enter plants and represent potential danger for their organism. For that reason, plants have evolved extremely sophisticated detoxification systems including a battery of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. Some of them are similar to those in humans and animals, but there are several plant-specific ones. This review briefly introduces xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in plants and summarizes present information about their action toward veterinary drugs. Veterinary drugs are used worldwide to treat diseases and protect animal health. However, veterinary drugs are also unwantedly introduced into environment mostly via animal excrements, they persist in the environment for a long time and may impact on the non-target organisms. Plants are able to uptake, transform the veterinary drugs to non- or less-toxic compounds and store them in the vacuoles and cell walls. This ability may protect not only plant themselves but also other organisms, predominantly invertebrates and wild herbivores. The aim of this review is to emphasize the importance of plants in detoxification of veterinary drugs in the environment. The results of studies, which dealt with transport and biotransformation of veterinary drugs in plants, are summarized and evaluated. In conclusion, the risks and consequences of veterinary drugs in the environment and the possibilities of phytoremediation technologies are considered and future perspectives are outlined.