eTEP inferior access with tailored retromuscular dissection for small to mid-sized umbilical hernia repair with or without inguinal hernia: early experience

Hernia - The minimally invasive surgical repair of combined inguinal and ventral hernias often requires shifting from one approach or plane to another. The traditional enhanced-view totally...     

Self‐objectification in the context of breastfeeding: A concept analysis

To increase the overall rate of breastfeeding initiation and duration, factors involved in a mother's decision to breastfeed must be identified. Self‐objectification in the context of breastfeeding was a concept selected for exploring factors associated with negative views of breastfeeding. A concept analysis following the eight‐step Walker & Avant method provides clarity and context to the concept of self‐objectification in the context of breastfeeding. The antecedents of self‐objectification in the context of breastfeeding include living in a culture of sexualization and objectification of women and the internalization of the values of objectification. Attributes of self‐objectification in the context of breastfeeding are a prioritization of physical appearance attributes of the breast over the health benefits of breastfeeding and a preoccupation with physical appearance. Consequences include negative views toward breastfeeding initiation, duration, and public breastfeeding. A concept analysis on self‐objectification in the context of breastfeeding will provide definition and clarity to this phenomenon, lend to theory and measurement, and add literature to the sociocultural factors impacting breastfeeding decisions.     

Influence of age on the reactivity of the BANA test among Brazilian children.

Three hundred and twenty samples of subgingival plaque were obtained from 80 caucasian girls, ranging from 10 to 13 years of age. The samples were analyzed to verify the influence of age upon colonization of the gingival sulcus by microorganisms potentially pathogenic to the periodontal tissues. The gingival and plaque status were evaluated through the gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PlI) and the microflora was assessed by the enzymatic method benzoyl-arginine-naphthylamide (BANA). The results of the BANA test were positive for 62.50% of the tested individuals and 40% of the examined sites. The influence of age was statistically significant on BANA reactivity, and the number of positive sites was greater at 11 (57.5%) than at 12 years (28.8%).     

High glucose prolongs cell-cycle traversal of cultured human endothelial cells

There is evidence suggesting that the diabetic state adversely affects replication of certain cell populations. We document that exposure to high ambient glucose (20 mM) induces delay in various phases of the cell cycle of human endothelial cells in primary culture. Cells in S phase were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (an analogue of thymidine), and the cell-cycle position of the labeled cohort was analyzed by flow cytometry at successive time points. The movement of cells exposed to high glucose for 7-8 days was retarded both in S and G2 phases so that the increase in bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells over 24 h was 1.6-fold, versus 2.0-fold in control cultures. In experiments in which mitotic arrest with vinblastine was used to investigate the movement of cells out of G1 phase without interference from reentering cells, depletion of the G1 compartment was significantly inhibited in cultures grown in high glucose. The effects of chronic high glucose on cell cycle occurred while total protein synthesis was not diminished. Acute exposure to high glucose had no effect on cell-cycle traversal or cell generation time. Cell-cycle abnormalities observed in this study may relate to the DNA damage we have previously observed in endothelial cells exposed to high glucose and, if occurring in vivo, could be of pathogenetic importance for the vascular lesions and teratogenicity of diabetes.     

The role of still-frame parametric imaging in magnetic resonance assessment of left ventricular wall motion by non-cardiologists.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) images are often reviewed by non-cardiologists who are not trained in the interpretation of regional left ventricular (LV) function. We hypothesized that the use of still-frame parametric MR images of wall motion could aid in the assessment of regional LV function. METHODS: Dynamic, electrocardiogram-gated, steady-state free precession (FIESTA) short-axis images were obtained in 6 to 10 slices in 18 consecutive patients. Each loop was used to automatically generate a still-frame image, in which each pixel is assigned a value equal to the amplitude of cyclic variation in local intensity, resulting in higher intensity in pixels that change between blood and tissue during the cardiac cycle. The dynamic images were reviewed by an expert cardiologist who provided gold standard grades for regional wall motion and by four radiologists. Then the radiologists reviewed and graded the same MR images in combination with parametric images. Grades assigned to each segment in the two sessions were compared with the gold standard. RESULTS: According to expert interpretation, 6 patients had normal wall motion, and 12 had wall motion abnormalities. Parametric images showed a bright band in the area spanned by endocardial motion, with reduced brightness and thickness in areas of hypokinesis. The agreement between the radiologists' grades and the gold standard significantly improved by adding parametric images (from 77% to 81%), which also resulted in reduced interobserver variability (from 52% to 33%). CONCLUSIONS: Still-frame parametric images aid in the assessment of regional wall motion by non-cardiologists who are required to interpret cardiac images.     

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children: correlation of musculoskeletal manifestations and immunophenotypes

Purpose Studies on musculoskeletal manifestations (MSM) of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have yielded variable findings with regard to their clinical impact. We investigated the significance for differential diagnosis, treatment and outcome of musculoskeletal complaints as presenting symptoms of ALL, and their correlation with leukemia immunophenotypes, for which data is lacking. Methods Data on 783 children in the national study for childhood ALL between 1984 and 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Statistical analysis examined possible relationships between MSM at the time of diagnosis and demographic and clinical data, biological features of leukemia (peripheral blood counts, immunophenotype and main cytogenetic aberration), response to initial prednisone treatment, and outcome. Results Of 765 children with data on orthopaedic complaints, 240 presented with MSM (31.4%). Among these children, B cell precursor (BCP) was much more common (209/576, 36.3%) than T cell ALL (25/176, 14.2%). Patients with MSM had lower white blood cell counts (WBC) (median of 9 vs. 20 × 10⁹/L, P < 0.001) and percentage of blast cells in the peripheral blood at diagnosis compared to those without (median of 27 vs. 53%, P < 0.001). Hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were less common in MSM group (67 vs. 53% <3 cm, P < 0.001, and 63 vs. 50% <3 cm, P < 0.001, respectively). Poor response to initial treatment with prednisone was recorded in 7.1% of patients with MSM versus 11.5% of those without (P = 0.086). The analysis revealed no independent effect of MSM on event-free survival (EFS), after correcting for differences in EFS related to immunophenotype or initial WBC. Conclusions MSM occur mostly in children with BCP ALL who present with less involvement of extramedullary organs, low peripheral blood blasts and white blood cells counts. These findings highlight the importance of including ALL in the differential diagnosis of MSM even in the presence of an apparently normal peripheral blood count. Our study also suggests that MSM are caused by leukemic cells with enhanced biological propensity to remain relatively confined within the intramedullary bone-marrow space.     

Genetic polymorphisms and risk of recurrent deep venous thrombosis in young people: prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) recurrence in young people, and its association with some genetic polymorphisms (FV G1691A, FII G20210A, MTHFR C677T, PAI-1 4G/5G). DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: A database was established prospectively to follow-up a cohort of unselected patients who had had a first episode of objectively proven DVT under the age of 40 years. All patients had DNA analysis for heritable thrombophilia. We excluded patients with deficiency of antithrombin, protein C or protein S, malignant disease, antiphospholipid syndrome, or a requirement for long-term antithrombotic treatment. The end-point was objective evidence of symptomatic DVT recurrence. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients were enrolled in the study. Mean duration of follow-up was 4.07 years. At 2 years, the cumulative recurrence rate was 19.3%. The risk of risk was not related to presence or absence of laboratory evidence of genetic polymorphisms: FV G1619A (HR 1.26 [95%CI: 0.64-2.46]; p = 0.51), FII G20210A (HR 0.81 [95%CI: 0.35-1.89]; p = 0.62), MTHFR C677T (HR 1.26 [95%CI: 0.56-2.81]; p = 0.58), PAI-1 4G/5G (0.84 [95%CI: 0.35-2.05]; p = 0.71). CONCLUSION: In this study, the risk of recurrent deep venous thrombosis in young people was not related with the presence of FV G1691A, FII G20210A, MTHFR C677T or PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphisms.     

Helminth and protozoan intestinal infections in pregnant women in their first consultation at Health Centers of the State in the Butant? Subdistrict, S?o Paulo City]

481 pregnant women attended at first consultation from a S?o Paulo city suburb-subdistrict of Butantan-S?o Paulo State, Brazil, from April to October of 1988, were investigated regarding the prevalence of verminosis. The mean age was 24.5 years (range 14-46), the average family income was 0.97 PCMW (per capita minimum wage) and the average number of members of the family was 4 (1 to 15). The verminosis prevalence was 45.1% among the women. The most frequent parasites were: Ascaris lumbricoides (19.0%), ancilostomídeos (16.7%) and Trichuris trichiura (15.9%). The verminosis prevalence was significantly higher among the pregnant women (p < 0.05) who belonged to the families with income below 0.5 PCMW and greater than 4 members.