Neonatal sensory deprivation reduces tufted cell number in mouse olfactory bulbs

Quantitative morphometric methods were used in mice to study the effect postnatal olfactory deprivation has on tufted cell size and number. The two layers containing tufted cells, the external plexiform and glomerular layers, are considerably smaller in the deprived olfactory bulbs than in the contralateral, experienced olfactory bulbs. While most of this volumetric deficit may be due to an attenuation of synaptogenesis and dendritic elaboration, an additional factor contributing to the reduced volume of these bulbar layers is a substantial loss of tufted cells. Since tufted cells are generated prenatally, their reduced number in the postnatally deprived olfactory bulb is probably a consequence of retarded migration or cell death.     

Effect of age and care organization on sources of variation in kidney transplant waiting list registration

Despite national guidelines, medical practices and kidney transplant waiting list registration policies may differ from one dialysis/transplant unit to another. Benefit risk assessment variations, especially for elderly patients, have also been described. The aim of this study was to identify sources of variation in early kidney transplant waiting list registration in France. Among 16 842 incident patients during the period 2016–2017, 4386 were registered on the kidney transplant waiting list at the start of, or during the first year after starting, dialysis (26%). We developed various log-linear mixed effect regression models on three levels: patients, dialysis networks, and transplant centers. Variability was expressed as variance from the random intercepts (± standard error). Although patient characteristics have an important impact on the likelihood of registration, the overall magnitude of variability in registration was low and shared by dialysis networks and transplant centers. Between-transplant center variability (0.23 ± 0.08) was 1.8 higher than between-dialysis network variability (0.13 ± 0.004). Older age was associated with a lower probability of registration and greater variability between networks (0.04, 0.20, & 0.93 in the 18–64, 65–74, and 75–84 age groups). Targeted interventions should focus on elderly patients and/or certain regions with greater variability in waiting list access.     

Inhibition of rat corneal angiogenesis by 16-kDa prolactin and by endogenous prolactin-like molecules.

PURPOSE: The cornea is an avascular organ, where induction of new blood vessels involves the turn-on of proangiogenic factors and/or the turn-off of antiangiogenic regulators. Prolactin (PRL) fragments of 14 kDa and 16 kDa bind to endothelial cell receptors and inhibit angiogenesis. This study was designed to determine whether antiangiogenic PRL-like molecules are involved in cornea avascularity. METHODS: Sixteen-kDa PRL and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or anti-PRL antibodies were placed into rat cornea micropockets and neovascularization evaluated by the optical density associated with capillaries stained by the peroxidase reaction and by the number of vessels growing into the implants. Prolactin receptors in corneal epithelium were investigated by immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: bFGF induced a dose-dependent stimulation of corneal neovascularization. This effect was inhibited by coadministration of 16-kDa PRL, as indicated by a 65% reduction in vessel density and a 50% decrement in the incidence of angiogenic responses. Corneal angiogenic reactions of different intensities were induced by implantation of polyclonal and monoclonal anti-PRL antibodies. Corneal epithelial cells were labeled by several anti-PRL receptor monoclonal antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that exogenous 16-kDa PRL inhibits bFGF-induced corneal neovascularization and suggest that PRL-like molecules with antiangiogenic actions function in the cornea. PRL receptors in the corneal epithelium may imply that PRL in the cornea derives from lacrimal PRL internalized through an intracellular pathway. These observations are consistent with the notion that members of the PRL family are potential regulators of corneal angiogenesis.     

Nephrotoxicity by dicloxacillin and gentamicin in 163 patients with intertrochanteric hip fractures

Of 163 patients with intertrochanteric hip fractures 87 received 2 g dicloxacillin and 240 mg of gentamicin preoperatively, and 76 patients had no antibiotic prophylaxis. Preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis was not shown to have any significant effect on wound infections. However, 16 reversible and 1 irreversible cases of kidney toxicity were found among patients receiving antibiotic prophylaxis, whereas there were only four cases of reversible kidney damage among the patients not receiving antibiotics.     

Promoting and sustaining health through increased vegetable and fruit consumption among European schoolchildren: The Pro Children Project

Aim The Pro Children consortium consists of the following partners: Knut-Inge Klepp (Coordinator), Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Norway; Carmen Perez Rodrigo, Unidad de Nutricion Comunitaria, Bilbao, Spain; Inga Thorsdottir, Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; Pernille Due, Department of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Maria Daniel Vaz de Almeida, Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Ibrahim Elmadfa and Alexandra Wolf, Institute of Nutrition, University of Vienna, Austria; Jóhanna Haraldsdóttir, Research Department of Human Nutrition, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark; Johannes Brug, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Public Health, The Netherlands; Michael Sjöström and Agneta Yngve, Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.The Pro Children study is designed to assess vegetable and fruit consumption and determinants of the consumption patterns among European school children and their parents. A second objective is to develop and test strategies for promoting increased consumption of vegetables and fruits among school children and their parents.Subjects and methods Surveys of national, representative samples of 11-year-old school children and their parents were conducted in nine countries during October–November 2003, i.e. in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Comprehensive school-based educational programmes were developed and tested in three settings, i.e. in the Bilbao region, Spain, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and in Buskerud county of Norway. A 24-h recall format and frequency items assessing regular intake were used to assess vegetable and fruit consumption. Determinants were assessed employing the theoretical framework of the ASE model (Attitudes, Social Influences and Self-Efficacy), including cognitive factors, normative influences, skills and environmental barriers related to vegetable and fruit consumption. The intervention programmes were tested employing a group-randomized trial design where schools were randomly allocated to an intervention arm and a delayed intervention arm. Surveys among all participating children and their parents were conducted prior to the initiation of the intervention (September 2003; month 0), immediately after the end of the intervention (at month 8) and at the end of the subsequent school year (month 20).Results Preliminary data from the project indicate that girls eat vegetables and fruit significantly more often than do boys across all participating countries. There are no sex differences, however, with respect to perceived availability of vegetables and fruit at home and outside the home setting. In all countries, perceived availability appears to be significantly associated with reported frequency of both vegetable and fruit consumption.Conclusion Experience so far indicates that the Pro Children Project will succeed in producing valid and reliable research instruments for assessing vegetable and fruit consumption among school children and their parents and that comparable, comprehensive intervention programmes can be implemented across geographic and cultural settings within Europe.     

The Danish National Register of assisted reproductive technology: content and research potentials

European Journal of Epidemiology - The Danish National Register of assisted reproductive technology (ART) was initially established in 1994. The register comprises complete information on all ART...