Evaluation of wound contraction and epithelialization after subcutaneous administration of Theranekron® in cows

Ten bulls (age 7 months, weight 302 ± 15 kg) were used in this study. After sterile preparation of skin, a full thickness wound (20 × 20 mm) was created in each bull. The bulls were randomly assigned into two groups: group 1 received 6 ml Theranekron subcutaneously and group 2 penicillin banzatine 10,000 IU/kg IM. These doses were repeated 6 days after initial wounding. At days 0, 3, 6, 10 and 14, digital photographs were taken from the wounds to calculate wound contraction and epithelialization using geometry. Chi-square test was performed for statistical analysis using SPSS 9 for Windows. There was no significant differences in wound contraction between trial groups (P > 0.05) but a statistical difference was seen in epithelialization between groups (P < 0.05). Epithelialization is one of the most important factors in wound healing. According to the results of the present study, Theranekron can significantly stimulate epithelialization in full thickness wounds in cows during the first 14 days of healing.     

Lymph node infarction – a rare complication associated with disseminated intra vascular coagulation in a case of dengue fever

Background  

Lymph node infarction is known to occur in association with many non-neoplastic and neoplastic conditions however its occurrence in association with DIC is not reported hitherto in the literature.     

Accuracy of sentinel node biopsy in esophageal carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the pertinent literature

The use of sentinel node surgery for esophageal carcinoma is still under investigation. We evaluated the data available in the literature on this topic, and herein present the results in a systematic review format. PUBMED, SCOPUS, the ISI web of knowledge and the information from the annual meetings of the Japan Esophageal Society were searched using the search terms: “(esophagus OR esophageal) AND sentinel”. The outcomes of interest were the detection rate and sensitivity. Overall, 18 studies were included. The pooled detection rate was 89.2 % [82.6–93.5]. Patients with T1 and two tumors had a 17 % higher detection rate compared to those with T3 and four tumors. The pooled sensitivity was 84 % [78–88 %]. The sensitivity was higher for adenocarcinoma compared to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (91 vs. 81 %). In the SCC patients, there was a trend toward decreased sensitivity associated with an increasing tumor depth (T1:88 %, T2:76 %, T3:50 %). Our analysis indicated that sentinel node biopsy is useful in adenocarcinoma patients. For SCC patients, including only cN0 patients (preferably T1 and 2) would increase the detection rate and sensitivity. Due to the limited number of high-quality studies, drawing any more definite conclusions is impossible. Large cohort studies with a standardized and consistent design will be needed in the future.     

Eleven novel mutations in the factor VIII gene from Brazilian hemophilia A patients

The molecular characterization of the mutations in hemophilia A patients is hampered by the large size of the factor VIII gene and the great heterogeneity of mutations. In this study, we have performed a protocol involving multiplex polymerase chain reaction in which 19 exons were amplified in four different combinations followed by nonradioactive single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) to screen for mutations. Southern blotting was used to detect inversion of the factor VIII gene resulting from recombination between copies of the gene A (F8A) located in intron 22 of the factor VIII gene and two copies close telomeric region of X chromosome. Forty-two hemophilia A patients (21 with severe and 21 with mild-to-moderate disease) were studied. The inversion of factor VIII occurred in 13 of 21 patients affected by severe hemophilia A. One patient showed a large extra band in addition to the three bands observed after Southern blotting with the F8A probe. An abnormal electrophoretic pattern of SSCP was detected in 85% and 50% of the patients affected by mild-to-moderate and severe disease, respectively. Sixteen different mutations were identified. Eleven mutations were novel and comprised 9 point mutations and 2 small deletions. This study shows that the methodology used is safe and rapid and has potential for detecting almost all of the genetic defects of the studied hemophilia A patients.     

The development of an artificial neural network – genetic algorithm model (ANN-GA) for the adsorption and photocatalysis of methylene blue on a novel sulfur–nitrogen co-doped Fe2O3 nanostructure surface

In this study, a new sulfur–nitrogen co-doped Fe₂O₃ nanostructure was synthesized via a simple and efficient method and characterized via UV-Vis spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. The as-synthesized nanoparticles showed high efficiency for the removal of methylene blue. The experimental conditions including the dose of the nanoparticle, the concentration of the dye, pH and the light dose were studied and optimized. The removal percentage was approximately 95% in a short time (5 min). A three-layer artificial neural network (ANN) model was proposed for predicting the efficiency of the dye removal. The network was trained using the obtained experimental data at optimum values. Some training functions were tested and their ability to predict different numbers of neurons was evaluated. The coefficient of determination (R-squared) and the mean squared error (MSE) were measured for comparison. In order to improve the accuracy of the prediction and to remove its dependency on the number of neurons, the ANN parameters were optimized using the genetic algorithm (GA). The final model results showed an acceptable agreement with experimental data. Furthermore, the relative importance of the dose of the nanoparticle, the concentration of the dye, and pH on the efficiency were obtained as 39%, 46%, and 15%, respectively. Moreover, interestingly, the obtained results showed that this newly synthesized nanoparticle has some photocatalytic properties with a band gap of 1.65 eV and therefore, it can be proposed as a low-cost visible light-driven photocatalyst for engineering applications.

In this research an S-N doped Fe₂O₃ nanostructure is synthesized and its adsorption ability and photocatalytic activity were evaluated. The optimum experimental conditions were obtained and an ANN-GA model was proposed for predicting experimental values.     

Comparative evaluation of two fixed doses of 185 and 370 MBq 131I, for the treatment of Graves' disease resistant to antithyroid drugs

Radioiodine (131I) treatment is often applied for the treatment of Graves' disease (GD). The optimal dose of 131I for Graves' hyperthyroidism is debated. Various techniques suggest either fixed doses or varying doses based on elaborate calculations of the gland size, 131I uptake, and 131I turnover. Fixed dose regimens avoid dose calculations but there is no consensus on the actual dose to be administered. We compared two routinely recommended fixed 131I doses of 185 and 370 MBq for this purpose. Fifty nine patients with GD who had not been previously treated with 131I were randomized in two groups. Group A consisted of 33 patients who were treated with 185 MBq of 131I. Group B consisted of 26 patients who were treated with 370 MBq of 131I. Group A patients were 21% male and 78% female, mean age 38.1+/-14.4, range 15 to 77 y. Group B patients were 27% male and 73% female, mean age 40.7+/-11.7, range 27 to 72 y. All patients were reexamined every six months for two years. The following clinical outcomes were noticed: a) Persistent hyperthyroidism, which was considered as failure to treatment, requiring further 131I treatment. b) Hypothyroidism; requiring life-long replacement treatment. c) Euthyroid state. Euthyroid and hypothyroid states were considered as a response to treatment of hyperthyroidism. In Group A, 10 patients (30.3%) became euthyroid and 6 (18.2%) hypothyroid (an overall response of 48.5%), while 17 (51.5%) remained hyperthyroid by the end of the follow-up period. In Group B, 10 patients (38%) became euthyroid and 13 (50%) hypothyroid, an overall response of 88.5%. Non responders were 3 patients (11.5%). No correlation was noted between the outcome of treatment and age, sex, size of the thyroid gland or thyroid uptake in each Group of patients, while a significant correlation was noted between the disease outcome and the amount of administered 131I (P<0.003). The incidence of hypothyroidism by the end of two years of follow up was less in Group A than in Group B and the incidence of non responders to treatment was lower in Group A. In view of the higher cost of treatment, the longer time elapsing to treatment, the number of office visits by the patients and the higher number of patients with persistent hyperthyroidism in Group A, we conclude that a fixed dose of 131I of 370 MBq is more useful and effective for the treatment of GD as compared to 185 MBq of 131I.     

Thoracic epidural infusions for post thoracotomy pain relief: a clinical study to compare the efficacy of fentanyl — bupivicaine mixtures versus fentanyl alone

Background: Optimum pain relief following thoracotomy is essential for patient comfort and to reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 90 patients scheduled for pulmonary resection. The patients were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 received 0.125% bupivicaine with fentanyl 10μg.ml⁻¹, Group 2 received 0.25% bupivicaine with fentanyl 10μg.ml⁻¹ and Group 3 received only fentanyl 10μg.ml⁻¹ in a calculated dose as a continuous thoracic epidural infusion. Adequacy of anglesia was assessed at rest and during movement over 24 hours. Analgesic efficacy was assessed using a visual analogue score and an observer verbal ranking scale. Results: Pain scores were significantly higher in Group 3 during the assessment period. (p<0.01) as compared to the other groups. The use of intraoperative vasopressors was significantly higher (p<0.05) in Group 2 as compared to the other groups. No neurological complications were encountered in any of the study groups. Conclusion: We conclude that in the early postoperative period, the use of 0.125% bupivicaine improves fentanyl epidural analgesia in patients undergoing lung resection.     

“I have grown up controlling myself a lot.” Fear and misconceptions about sex among adolescents vertically-infected with HIV in Tanzania

With increased access to HIV treatment throughout Africa, a generation of HIV positive children is now transitioning to adulthood while living with a chronic condition requiring lifelong medication, which can amplify the anxieties of adolescence. This qualitative study explored how adolescents in Tanzania with HIV experience their nascent sexuality, as part of an evaluation of a home-based care programme. We interviewed 14 adolescents aged 15–19 who had acquired HIV perinatally, 10 of their parents or other primary caregivers, and 12 volunteer home-based care providers who provided support, practical advice, and referrals to clinical services. Adolescents expressed unease about their sexuality, fearing that sex and relationships were inappropriate and hazardous, given their HIV status. They worried about having to disclose their status to partners, the risks of infecting others and for their own health. Thus, many anticipated postponing or avoiding sex indefinitely. Caregivers and home-based care providers reinforced negative views of sexual activity, partly due to prevailing misconceptions about the harmful effects of sex with HIV. The adolescents had restricted access to accurate information, appropriate guidance, or comprehensive reproductive health services and were likely to experience significant unmet need as they initiated sexual relationships. Care programmes could help to reduce this gap by facilitating open communication about sexuality between adolescents and their caregivers, providers, and HIV-positive peers.