Normal cerebral perfusion measurements using arterial spin labeling: reproducibility, stability, and age and gender effects.

Before meaningful conclusions can be drawn from clinical measures of cerebral blood perfusion, the precision of the measurement must be determined and set in the context of inter- and intrasubject sources of variability. This work establishes the reproducibility of perfusion measurements using the noninvasive MRI technique of continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL). Perfusion was measured in 34 healthy normal subjects. Intersubject variability was assessed, and age and gender contributions were estimated. Intersubject variation was found to be large, with up to 100% perfusion difference for subjects of the same age and gender. Repeated measurements in one subject showed that perfusion remains remarkably stable in the short term when compared with intersubject variation and the large capacity for perfusion change in the brain. A significant decrease in the ratio of gray-matter to white-matter perfusion was found with increasing age (0.79% per year (P < 0.0005)). This appears to be due mainly to a reduction in gray-matter perfusion, which was found to decrease by 0.45% per year (P = 0.04). Regional analysis suggested that the gray-matter age-related changes were predominantly localized in the frontal cortex. Whole-brain perfusion was 13% higher (P = 0.02) in females compared to males.     

Biatrial aspergillosis in a patient with immunocompetency.

A 24-year-old man presented with a 24-hour history of pain and numbness in his left arm. The patient's clinical presentation of peripheral embolism was corroborated by angiography. Echocardiographic study showed masses in both right and left atria. Pathologic specimen from the embolus confirmed the diagnosis of aspergillosis.     

Detection of Candida in concentrated oral rinse cultures by real-time PCR

The incidence of oral candidosis has increased in recent years, largely as a result of the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus infection and the more widespread use of immunosuppressive chemotherapy. This development has been associated with a need for more reliable methods for the detection of Candida. The present study assessed the performance of a real-time PCR and two block-based PCRs for the detection of Candida in 193 concentrated oral rinse culture (CRC) specimens. A total of 102 CRC specimens were positive by culture for Candida; and 96, 90, and 75 of these were also positive by real-time, N18-specific, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-specific PCRs, respectively. The five false-negative results by the real-time PCR were all non-Candida albicans positive by culture. Of the 91 culture-negative CRC specimens, 20, 41, and 44 were positive by the real-time PCR and the N18- and ITS-specific PCRs, respectively. All three PCRs detected fungal DNA in 8 culture-negative CRC specimens, with a further 30 being positive by two of the three PCRs. A total of 32 CRC specimens were Candida free by all methods. In summary, a real-time PCR that provides a sensitive, specific, and rapid alternative technique for detection of Candida in the mouth is described.     

Antibodies against the extracellular enveloped virus B5R protein are mainly responsible for the EEV neutralizing capacity of vaccinia immune globulin

In the event of smallpox bioterrorism, widespread vaccination may be required. Vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) has been used to treat complications from the smallpox vaccine. While the potency of VIG was defined by its ability to neutralize intracellular mature virus, a second form of vaccinia called the extracellular enveloped virus (EEV) is critical for virus spread in the host. The B5R-protein is one of many EEV-specific proteins. Immunoprecipitation and ELISA revealed that VIG recognizes the B5R-protein. An EEV plaque-reduction assay using a recombinant vaccinia that lacks the majority of the extracellular domain of B5R showed that the ability of VIG to neutralize EEV is principally directed at B5R. In addition, absorbing out the anti-B5R antibody present in VIG through the addition of recombinant B5R protein abrogated VIG's ability to significantly neutralize wild-type EEV. This work demonstrates the prominent role of B5R as a target of EEV-neutralizing activity of human antibodies.     

Sperm binding to hyaluronan is an excellent predictor of Nili-Ravi buffalo bull fertility

This study reports the first evaluation of sperm hyaluronan binding assay (HBA) for predicting the fertility of Nili-Ravi buffalo bulls in relation to standard parameters of sperm quality. Cryopreserved semen doses of low (n = 6), medium (n = 3) and high fertility (n = 8) bulls based on their respective return rates were used. Significantly, more spermatozoa bound to hyaluronan from the most fertile bulls (57.15% ± 1.44) compared with medium (42.46% ± 1.08) and low fertility bulls (29.70% ± 0.78). A strongly positive correlation (r = .824, p < .01) was found between HBA and fertility that predicts a 67.9% variability (r² = .679, p < .01) in fertility. HBA was also strongly positively correlated with sperm viability (r = .679, p < .01) followed by their live/dead ratio (r = .637, p < .01), uncapacitated spermatozoa (r = .631, p < .01), normal apical ridge (r = .459, p < .01), motility (r = .434, p < .01), mature spermatozoa with low residual histones (r = .364, p < .01), high plasma membrane integrity (r = .316, p < .01) and nonfragmented DNA levels (r = .236, p < .05). It was negatively correlated with spermatozoa having reacted acrosome (r = −.654, p < .01). A fertility model built using a combination of sperm HBA and either sperm livability or viability predicts, respectively, 86.1% (r² = .861, p < .01) and 85.9% (r² = .859, p < .01) variability in buffalo bull fertility. In conclusion, sperm HBA may prove to be a single robust predictor of Nili-Ravi buffalo bull fertility.     

Efficacy of allogeneic cord blood platelet gel on wounds of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa patients after pseudosyndactyly surgery

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the formation of blisters and wounds in skin and mucous membranes; it is classified into four types and has various methods of treatment. Management of previous wounds and prevention of formation of new lesions are the most important strategies in the course of therapy to improve patient's quality of life; lack of wound management can lead to further complications such as infection. The current study investigated the therapeutic effects of allogeneic platelet gel (prepared from umbilical cord blood) in a group of children diagnosed with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) eligible for surgical correction of pseudosyndactyly in the hand. The post‐surgical clinical outcome in this group was compared with the clinical outcomes of DEB patients receiving the standard treatment (paraffin gauze wound dressing and topical antibiotics) after corrective surgery. The current study results showed an increase in the rate of recovery and promotion of tissue granulation, complete wound healing, and a decrease in pain level and treatment period. The application of cord blood platelet gel topical dressing was not a conventional method of treatment in patients with DEB wounds and blisters. However, the current study results demonstrated that this gel dressing could effectively accelerate epithelialization and healing of the wounds and decrease patients' pain and post‐surgical recovery period, which altogether leads to improvements in patients' overall quality of life.