Responses to eccentric rotation in two space-bound subjects

Summary Two subjects were rotated eccentrically in the manner described previously. In contrast to a normal control group, settings of a luminous line to the subjective vertical were almost unrelated to the gravitoinertial vector before, and totally so shortly after, space flight. Only 3 days postflight did a clear relation to the gravitoinertial vector re-establish itself in the one subject who actually flew. The correspondence became normal 5 days after the flight. Since there were no clinical abnormalities evident in the subjects, it is suggested that both subjects suppressed their vestibular information, presumably as an effect of vestibular deconditioning training before the flight. In addition, as a consequence of the flight experience one subject continued to ignore it several days after the flight.Abbreviations DARA Deutsche Agentur für Raumfahrtangelegenheiten - DLR Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft-und Raumfahrt - ESA European space agency - ESTEC European space research and technology centre - G _z G-Units (9.81 m/s²) in z-axis direction - L-xx Launch minus xx days - R+xx Return - VESTA ESA Neurovestibular experiment facility     

Productive infection of in vitro generated haemopoietic progenitor cells from normal human adult peripheral blood with parvovirus B19: studies by morphology, immunocytochemistry, flow-cytometry and DNA-hybridization

Parvovirus B19 exerts a highly selective cytopathic effect on erythroid progenitor cells. Studies so far on the pathogenesis of B19-infection have been performed using bone marrow samples providing large amounts of erythroid progenitor cells. Extensive study, however, has been hampered by the limited access to bone marrow samples. We have designed a liquid culture method allowing the generation of large numbers of erythroid progenitor cells, initiating cultures with CD3- and CD14-poor peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Following a 12 d preincubation in liquid cultures containing recombinant human interleukin 3 (rhIl-3) and recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEpo), cells harvested from the liquid cultures were exposed to B19-containing plasma, followed by a further cultivation in liquid culture for up to 96 h. Cells expressing the CD13 and the glycophorin A (GlyA) antigens, respectively, were monitored sequentially by flow-cytometry, demonstrating a selective inhibition of GlyA-positive cells following B19-inoculation. Typical morphological changes were observed on cytocentrifuge-spots, and typical giant-cells were identified as staining for GlyA. Productive infection by B19 was demonstrable, as B19-DNA increased by about x 100 after 72 h of culture. The liquid culture method generating erythroid target cells for effective infection by B19 virus promises to be a useful and easily accessible tool for further research on B19 infection of haemopoietic cells.     

Impact of Intraoperative Radiotherapy on Cosmetic Outcome and Complications after Oncoplastic Breast Surgery

Breast cancer is one of the most common tumors in the population worldwide. Conservative breast surgery (CBS) is one of the preferred surgical options, because both the oncologic and esthetic needs of the patient can be addressed. CBS surgical outcomes tend to be more effective with reduced chances of disease recurrence when radiotherapy (RT) treatment is considered as an adjunct treatment, either applied during surgery (IORT) and/or after (EBRT). The purpose of our study was to compare surgical outcomes between IORT and EBRT after CBS. In the past 5 years, we performed CBS in 489 patients in our clinic. Of these patients, 83 underwent adjunct treatment with IORT and 109 were treated with EBRT in accordance with our university approved clinical protocol. Surgical outcomes, early complication rates, and esthetic results were compared between these two groups of CBS patients, with a mean follow‐up time of 17 months. IORT allowed breast irradiation treatment to be performed without effecting overlying skin, thus cosmetic outcomes tended to be favorable. Esthetic postoperative results assessed with the Breast Cancer Conservation Treatment (BCCTcore) software showed that the differences between IORT and EBRT were not statistically significant (including those patients that underwent further oncoplastic techniques after EBRT). The disease recurrence rates between the two groups were not significantly different. IORT is a safe, fast, and feasible technique that provides effective and comparable CBS outcomes for patients with breast cancer.     

Conservative management of post-intubation tracheal tears—report of three cases

Iatrogenic tracheal rupture is a rare complication after intubation. We present three patients with tracheal tears. In all of these patients, a common finding was a lesion of the posterior tracheal wall with postoperative subcutaneous and emphysema as the first clinical sign of the rupture. Diagnosis and follow-up were based on clinical and endoscopic findings and chest computed tomography (CT) scans. In our cases with progressive subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema or dyspnea, we performed a tracheotomy and bypassed the lesion with a tracheostomy tube to avoid an increase in air leakage into the mediastinum. Under broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, no mediastinitis occurred and all patients survived without sequelae. Closure of tracheostomy was scheduled for 1-2 months after tracheal injury. Analysis of surgical and anesthesiological procedures revealed no abnormalities and the accumulation of tracheal injuries was considered as accidental. We found that in clinically stable patients with spontaneous breathing and with no mediastinitis, a conservative management of tracheal tears is a safe procedure.     

Brain lateralisation and motor learning: Selective effects of dominant and non-dominant hand practice on the early acquisition of throwing skills

Findings from neurosciences indicate that the two brain hemispheres are specialised for the processing of distinct movement features. How this knowledge can be useful in motor learning remains unclear. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of initial practice with the dominant vs non-dominant hand on the acquisition of novel throwing skills. Within a transfer design two groups practised a novel motor task with the same amount of practice on each hand, but in opposite hand-order. In Experiment 1, participants acquired the position throw in basketball, which places high demands on throwing accuracy. Participants practising this task with their non-dominant hand first, before changing to the dominant hand, showed better skill acquisition than participants practising in opposite order. In Experiment 2 participants learned the overarm throw in team handball, which requires great throwing strength. Participants initially practising with their dominant hand benefited more from practice than participants beginning with their non-dominant hand. These results indicate that spatial accuracy tasks are learned better after initial practice with the non-dominant hand, whereas initial practice with the dominant hand is more efficient for maximum force production tasks. The effects are discussed in terms of brain lateralisation and bilateral practice schedules.     

Errors and near misses in digestive endoscopy units

Background

Not much is known about errors and near misses in digestive endoscopy.

Aims

To verify whether an incident report, with certain facilitating features, gives useful information about unintended events, only excluding errors in medical diagnosis.

Method

Nine endoscopy units took part in this cross sectional, prospective, multicentre study which lasted for two weeks. Members of the staff were required to report any unintended, potentially dangerous event observed during the daily work. A form was provided with a list of “reminders” and facilitators were appointed to help.The main outcome measurements were type of event, causes, corrective interventions, stage of occurrence in the workflow and qualification of the reporters.

Results

A total of 232 errors were reported (two were not related to endoscopy). The remaining 230 amount to 10.3% of 2239 procedures; 66 (29%) were considered errors with consequences, 164 (71%) “near misses”. There were 150 pre-operative errors (65%), 22 operative (10%) and 58 post-operative (25%). Corrective interventions were provided for 60 cases of errors and 119 near misses. Most of the events were reported by the nurses (106 out of 232, 46%).

Conclusions

Short-term incident reporting focusing on near misses, using forms with lists of “reminders”, and the help of a facilitator, can give useful information on errors and near misses in digestive endoscopy.