The ultrastructure of the avian Golgi tendon organ

The ultrastructure of the avian Golgi tendon organ (GTO) is described and compared with those of mammals using transverse sections through the myo-tendinous junctions of wing muscles of adult mallard ducks. The capsule, which is continuous with the perineural epithelial sheath of the Ib afferent nerve fiber, consists of four to seven flattened cellular lamellae. Two to four muscle fibers attach to large collagen bundles which enter the GTO through a tight collar at the proximal end of the fusiform capsule. These collagen bundles divide into many smaller bundles, which run longitudinally through the lumen in compartments formed by septal cells. The septal cells contain many prominent lipid accumulations. The Ib axon divides several times, and the unmyelinated branch axons weave between the small collagen bundles. Schwann cell processes or basement membrane usually intervene between the axons and collagen bundles. The small collagen bundles regroup into larger bundles, which pass through tight capsular collars and merge with the main muscle tendon. The size of the duck GTOs was measured and found to be smaller than the GTOs of man, cat or rat.     

Correlation between Karnofsky Performance Status Scale and Short-Form Health Survey in patients on maintenance hemodialysis

BACKGROUND: Assessment of quality of life is vital inmonitoring response to various treatment measures. Various instruments, which include both generic and disease-specific instruments, are used in the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). In this study, we compare two commonly used generic instruments. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare two generic instruments, the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale and the SF-36 Health Survey in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The study also aims to find out the association (if any) between HRQOL scores using these two scales and various clinical and biochemical parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-two maintenance HD patients were recruited after informed consents were obtained. Detailed sociodemographic data was obtained. They were assessed during their regular HD sessions. Serum chemistry (which included serum urea, creatinine, Na+, K+, HCO3-, Ca2+, Po4(2-)), albumin, globulin, total protein and hemoglobin (g/dl) were assessed in all the patients. Adequacy of HD was assessed using second-generation Daugirdais formula. HRQOL was assessed using the Karnofsky and SSF-36 instruments and the scores collated and compared. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 10. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients completed the study (27 males and 28 females, mean age 40.76 +/- 11.05 years and age range of 20-65 years). There was a significant positive correlation between Karnofsky scores and all eight SF-36 domains, but only physical functioning, social functioning and role limitation due to emotional problems maintained the significance on multiple regression analysis. The serum creatinine and hemoglobin postively correlated with physical function, bodily pain, social functioning and Karnofsky scores. Age of the patients correlated negatively with two SF-36 dimensions (physical functioning and role limitation due to physical fitness) and Karnofsky scores. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a good correlation between Karnofsky performance status scale and the short-form (SF36) health survey in this Egyptian population. Age, serum creatinine and hemoglobin significantly influence quality of life in this HD patient population.     

ROLE OF ACULASER THERAPY IN CEREBRAL PALSY CHILDERN （INITIAL DATA ＆ RESULTS）

1　BACKGROUNDTheincidenceofCPis 0 .7per 1 0 0 0livebirths[1 ] .Becausecerebralpalsyinfluencesthewaychildrendevelop,itoftenresultsindevelop mentaldisability .Today ,more peoplehavecerebralpalsythananyotherdevelopmentaldis ability ,includingDownsyndrome,epilepsy ,andautism .Accordingtoasurveyconductedin1 986,2 .6%ofthepopulationofPakistaniaredisabled (includingbothphysicalandmentaldis abilities) .Childrenbetween 0～1 4 yearsinageconstitute 40 %ofthedisabled populationinPakistan .Routineme…     

Synthesis and biological evaluation studies of novel quinazolinone derivatives as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents

Some novel 6,8-diiodo-2-methyl-3-substituted-quinazolin-4(3H)-ones bearing sulfonamide derivatives (4–11) were synthesized in good yields and evaluated for their possible antibacterial, anti-inflammatory activities and acute toxicity. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed on the basis of their spectral data and elemental analysis. Their antibacterial activities were evaluated by the agar well diffusion method while their anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema test. All the tested compounds showed considerable antibacterial activities and high to moderate anti-inflammatory activities that last for 12 h compared to ibuprofen. All the tested compounds showed no toxic symptoms or mortality rates 24 h post-administration at tested anti-inflammatory doses. In addition, LD₅₀ for all tested compounds was higher than that for ibuprofen implying their good safety margin. The obtained results showed that the most active compounds could be useful as a template for future design, modification and investigation to produce more active analogs.     

Acute pancreatitis in patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis: an increased risk?

OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this study is to determine if patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on peritoneal dialysis (PD) have a higher risk of developing acute pancreatitis (AP) than patients on hemodialysis (HD). The secondary aim is to compare the outcomes of AP between the two groups. METHOD: This is a retrospective case-control study. The study groups consisted of all patients initiated on HD and PD between January 1, 1998 and August 1, 2003. AP was identified using ICD-9 codes. Statistical analysis was carried out using Poisson regression, Kaplan-Meier curve, log-rank test, and Cox regression. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred and thirty-three and 160 eligible patients were identified in the HD and PD groups, respectively. Twenty-eight patients had AP. Eight patients were excluded as they had identifiable etiologies for AP. Of the remaining 20 patients with AP, 14 were in the HD group and 6 were in the PD group (p= 0.009). Incidence of AP was 18.4 per 1,000 person-years in the PD group and 6.5 per 1,000 person-years in the HD group (p= 0.033). Kaplan-Meier curves showed a significant difference in AP-free survival between the two groups (log-rank p= 0.026). Using time-dependent analysis, the hazard ratio for AP in PD patients after adjustment for age and sex was 3.94 (p= 0.006). There was no observed difference in length of hospital stay and ICU stay. All cases of AP were interstitial. There were no complications or deaths related to AP. CONCLUSION: PD is a risk factor for AP. There is no statistical difference in AP-related mortality and morbidity between HD and PD.     

Efficacy of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir/ribavirin in management of HCV genotype 4 and end-stage kidney disease

Background

Till now, pooled data about the safety and efficacy of different direct-acting antiviral (DAAs) regimens in different renal situations are still under evaluation.