Charge radius isotope shift across the N=126 shell gap

We revisit the problem of the kink in the charge radius shift of neutron-rich even isotopes near the N=126 shell closure. We show that the ability of a Skyrme force to reproduce the isotope shift is determined by the occupation of the neutron 1i(11/2) orbital beyond N=126 and the corresponding change it causes to deeply-bound protons orbitals with a principal quantum number of 1. Given the observed position of the single-particle energies, one must either ensure occupation is allowed through correlations, or not demand that the single-particle energies agree with experimental values at the mean-field level.

Pesticide residue levels in green beans cultivated in Souss Masa valley (Morocco) after multiple applications of bifenthrin and λ-cyhalothrin

Dissipation of bifenthrin and λ-cyhalothrin pyrethroid insecticides, under environmental conditions, was evaluated on green beans grown in experimental greenhouses (Souss Massa valley, Morocco). Pesticide residues were determined by gas chromatography with micro electron-capture detector (GC-μECD) after dichloromethane extraction and cleanup on florisil phase cartridges. In the case of field experiments, a random block scheme was employed. Each block contained 25 plants in a single row and tests were carried out in triplicates applying pesticides at the recommended doses by the manufacturers. Fruit samples were periodically taken until the end of the preharvest interval (p.i.). The results obtained showed that the p.i of bifenthrin in green bean were 4 days in the winter and 3.5 days in the spring, whereas that for λ-cyhalothrin 8 days was found in the winter and 7.5 days in the spring. Consequently, it is possible to consider the European Union maximum residue limit (EU MRL) values compatible with the proper agricultural practices used for growing green bean in the plastic greenhouse of Souss Massa valley in South Morocco. Bifenthrin had a degradation of first-order kinetics, whereas that of levels for λ-cyhalothrin residue can not be interpreted by the use of a first order model.

Low-dose theophylline enhances the anti-inflammatory effects of steroids during exacerbations of COPD

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by an abnormal inflammatory response mainly to cigarette smoke that flares up during exacerbations of the disease (ECOPD). Reduced activity of histone deacetylases (HDAC) contributes to enhanced inflammation in stable COPD. It was hypothesised that HDAC activity is further reduced during ECOPD and that theophylline, an HDAC activator, potentiates the anti-inflammatory effect of steroids in these patients. A study was performed to investigate HDAC activity during ECOPD and the effects of theophylline on the anti-inflammatory effects of steroids in a randomised single-blind controlled study.

METHODS

35 patients hospitalised with ECOPD and treated according to international guidelines (including systemic steroids) were randomised to receive or not to receive low-dose oral theophylline (100 mg twice daily). Before treatment and 3 months after discharge, HDAC and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity in sputum macrophages, the concentration of nitric oxide in exhaled air (eNO) and total antioxidant status (TAS), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL8 levels in sputum supernatants were measured.

RESULTS

Patients receiving standard therapy showed decreased NF-kappaB activity, eNO concentration and sputum levels of TNFalpha, IL6 and IL8, as well as increased TAS during recovery of ECOPD, but HDAC activity did not change. The addition of low-dose theophylline increased HDAC activity and further reduced IL8 and TNFalpha concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

During ECOPD, low-dose theophylline increases HDAC activity and improves the anti-inflammatory effects of steroids.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT00671151.

Supercritical fluid extraction as an on-line clean-up technique for rapid amperometric screening and alternative liquid chromatography for confirmation of paraquat and diquat in olive oil samples

A rapid and simple method for the direct screening of paraquat (PQ) and diquat (DQ) in olive oil samples is proposed. The sample screening method involves supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) (clean-up followed by the extraction of the analytes) followed by continuous flow electrochemical detection. Those samples for which the total concentration is close to or above the threshold limit established by the Columbian Society for Social Protection (0.05 microg g(-1)) are subsequently analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC) with diode array detection (DAD). This confirmation method allows the determination of PQ and DQ in the range between 0.04 and 1.0 microg g(-1), with average relative standard deviations lower than 3.5%, and 0.003 and 0.002 microg g(-1) detection limits for PQ and DQ, respectively. The proposed arrangement opens up interesting prospects for the direct determination of polar pesticides in complex samples with a good throughput and a high level of automation.

Subcellular distribution of theEntamoeba histolytica140 kDa FN-binding molecule during host-parasite interaction

Entamoeba histolyticatrophozoites recovered from the host-parasite interface during abscess development obtain different stimuli compared with long-term cultured cells. In order to have a better understanding about the mechanisms in which the 140 kDa fibronectin (FN)-binding molecule (EhFNR) is involved during the invasive process, we decided to compare the regulation process of this molecule among long-term cultured trophozoites, FN-stimulated trophozoites, and trophozoites recently recovered from a liver abscess. A cDNA clone (5A) containing a fragment of theEhFNR that shows identity to the C-terminal region of the intermediate galactose lectin subunit Igl, was selected with a mAb (3C10). Identity ofEhFNR with Igl was confirmed by immunoprecipitation with 3C10 and EH3015 (against the Gal/GalNAc intermediate subunit) mAbs. The 3C10 mAb was used as a tool to explore the modulation of the amoebic receptor (EhFNR). Our results showed specific regulation of theEhFNR in FN-interacted amoebas, as well as in trophozoites recovered at different stages of abscess development. This regulation involved mobilization of the receptor molecule from internal vesicles to the plasma membrane. Therefore, we suggest that in the host-parasite interface, theEhFNR (Igl) plays an important role in the adhesion process during abscess development.

Aromatase inhibitor (AI)-associated arthralgia (A) and bone pain (BP): Frequency and characterization in clinical practice

6137

Background: Prior studies of AI have identified A and/or BP as side effects. Reported incidences have varied from 4% (IMPACT) to 35.6% (ATAC). In order to determine the frequency of A or BP in clinical practice, we reviewed a consecutive series of patients (PTs) receiving AI in community cancer centers. Methods: The charts of consecutive PTs receiving AI were reviewed, and PTs were interviewed regarding the occurrence of A or BP (ABP), severity, whether ABP was worse than before AI therapy, preexisting co-morbidities, type of therapy for ABP, and pain characterization. Results: 56 PTs were receiving AI. The type of AI used was anastrazole in 44 PTs, letrozole in 10 PTs, and exemestane in 2 PTs. The age range was 45 to 89 years. All PTs had breast cancer. The duration AI usage was 1 to 44 mo. Worsening of ABP compared to pretreatment ABP was reported in 34 PTs (61%). In 11 Pts (20%), severity was sufficient and control poor enough to result in discontinuation of AI at a median of 2 mo of AI therapy. The median severity of ABP, when present, was 7.5 on a 10 point pain scale. The character of the ABP was continuous in 20 (59%) and intermittent in 14 (41%), affected central/axial bones in 20 (36%), and peripheral bones in 35 (64%). Coexisting conditions possibly contributing to worsening of ABP occurred in 36%, consisting of degenerative joint disease 10, fibromyalgia 1, osteoporosis 4, and degenerative disc disease 1. Therapy associated with amelioration of symptoms included acetaminophen in 26%, NSAIDs in 45%, mild opiates in 11%, strong opiates in 5%, and glucosamine in 13%. The occurrence of ABP was not associated with age (68% in PTs less than 60 versus 57% in PTs over 60). The occurrence of ABP was not associated with duration of use of AI (50% of 16 Pts on AI for 3–6 mo, 75% for 7–12 mo, and 56% for over 12 mo). Conclusions: The occurrence of AI associated ABP is higher in a non-clinical trial population of PTs than reported in most clinical trials. This side effect is severe enough to cause discontinuation of needed AI therapy in 20%. Further studies are warranted to determine the mechanism of AI associated ABP, and optimal therapy. It is reasonable to consider glucosamine as well as standard analgesics in controlling this syndrome.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Frequency analysis of air and skin temperature in neonates in servo-controlled incubators

OBJECTIVE

To test a new system designed for digital recording of skin and air temperature, thereby allowing analysis of cyclic changes in temperature in neonates in servo-controlled incubators.

METHODS

Analysis of cyclic changes of serial skin and air temperature in asymptomatic infants in servo-controlled incubators adjusting heat output to the patient's temperature.

RESULTS

In nine asymptomatic neonates ranging from 25 to 40 weeks of gestational age, analysis showed peaks of coherence (squared correlation) between skin and air temperature measurements at periods ranging between 1.5 and 3 h.

CONCLUSION

We have established a new system to study cyclic changes in skin and air temperature in neonates in servo-controlled incubators. The analysis of this pilot study suggests that the most important changes in skin and air temperature in asymptomatic neonates occur at a periodicity of 1.5 to 3 h, which is similar to that previously described for neonatal temperature. Additional data are required to determine whether this new system may be useful in neonatal care.

Definitive treatment for persistent hypoparathyroidism in a kidney transplant patient: parathyroid allotransplantation

Post-surgical hypocalcemia is usually a transitory complication in thyroid and parathyroid surgery that can be resolved quickly, although it becomes a delicate matter when the problem persists. Parathyroid transplantation is the choice of treatment; however, the associated immunosuppression can cause side effects. The following case study shows the transplantation of parathyroid tissue from a patient with secondary hyperparathyroidism to another kidney transplant patient with severe hypocalcemia that was medically intractable. The graft is functioning after 2 years.

Primitive leiomyosarcoma of the breast: case report and review of the literature

Sarcomas of the breast account for under 1% of breast tumours. Leiomyosarcomas are less common, being a subgroup of sarcomas of the breast. Only 23 cases with immunohistochemical or electron microscopy confirmation are reported in the literature. The case of a 58-year-old woman with a leiomyosarcoma 4 cm in diameter in the upper external quadrant of the right breast is presented. Mammography and sonography were compatible with a fibroadenoma or phylloides tumour, and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) suggested medullary carcinoma. The patient underwent a Madden-type modified radical mastectomy and axillary lymphadenectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was implemented with Adriamycin (four cycles of 21 days). One year after surgery the patient is tumour free.

Does the standard vs piggyback surgical technique affect the development of early acute renal failure after orthotopic liver transplantation?

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the surgical technique on postoperative renal function during the first week after liver transplantation (OLT). We performed a retrospective study of 184 consecutive OLT. Criteria for acute renal failure were: serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dL, an increase by 50% in the baseline serum creatinine, or oliguria requiring renal replacement therapy. The distribution of patients according to the surgical technique was: standard (n=84), venovenous bypass (n=20), and piggyback (n=80). Other variables analyzed were: intraoperative requirement for blood products, treatment with adrenergic agonists, intraoperative complications, and postreperfusion syndrome. Univariate analysis showed the following parameters to be significantly related to postoperative renal failure: intraoperative fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate requirements, intraoperative complications, postreperfusion syndrome, need for noradrenaline or dobutamine, standard surgical technique versus piggyback (39% vs 18%, P<.01) and venovenous vs piggyback (50% vs 18%, P<.01). Logistic regression analysis identified the following variables as having independent prognostic value: (1) Standard surgical technique vs piggyback (OR=3.3, P=.01); (2) venovenous vs piggyback (OR=4.7, P=.02); and (3) >20 U cryoprecipitate requirement (OR=1.04, P=.01). In conclusion, compared with the piggyback technique, the standard surgical technique appears to be an independent risk factor for postoperative acute renal failure. When venovenous bypass is used in patients who do not tolerate trial clamping of inferior vena cava, it does not reduce the incidence of postoperative renal failure. Finally, the piggyback technique significantly reduces the probability of acute renal failure after liver transplantation.

Respiratory mechanics in very low birth weight infants during continuous versus intermittent gavage feeds

This study was designed to determine whether respiratory mechanics in stable, very low birth weight infants changed after replacing intermittent feeds with continuous feeding. We measured static respiratory system compliance, respiratory system resistance, functional residual capacity (FRC), and tidal volume immediately before feeds and at 20, 60, and 120 min after feeds, and again the next day on continuous feeds. Patients selected for enrollment into the study needed to fulfill the following criteria: 1) birth weight and postnatal weight < 1,500 g, 2) no need for mechanical ventilation, positive airway pressure, or supplemental oxygen, 3) receiving and tolerating at least 100 mL/kg/day of intermittent gavage feeds, and 4) no change in methylxanthine or diuretic dosage for 3 days before the study. Respiratory mechanics were measured using the SensorMedics 2600 Pediatric Pulmonary Cart (Yorba Linda, CA). We studied 16 infants (gestational age 28.3 +/- 3.7 weeks, mean +/- SD) at a postnatal age of 10-82 days. The average interindividual coefficient of variance was 20 +/- 2% for static compliance, 35 +/- 6% for resistance, 18 +/- 3% for FRC, and 19 +/- 3% for tidal volume. Repeated-measures analysis of variance did not reveal any significant difference in respiratory mechanics with intermittent vs. continuous feeding. The data suggest that static respiratory mechanics in stable, very low birth weight infants are not affected by changing enteral feeds from intermittent gavage to a continuous schedule.

Intracranial metastases from an ovarian dysgerminoma in a 2-year-old dog

A 2-year-old, intact female rottweiler was presented for signs of lethargy. A mass was ultrasonographically observed, cranial and lateral to the left kidney. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a mass in the left ovary that was diagnosed histopathologically as an ovarian dysgerminoma. Two weeks after surgery, the dog was readmitted with signs of peripheral vestibular disease that progressed to central vestibular disease. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed the presence of a mass in the caudal fossa. The histopathological diagnosis of the mass was metastases from the ovarian dysgerminoma.

Factors that affect recurrence after incisional herniorrhaphy with prosthetic material

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the risk factors for recurrence after prosthetic incisional herniorrhaphy.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Tertiary referral centre, Spain.

PATIENTS

246 patients who had incisional herniorrhaphy with a prosthetic material (polypropylene) between 1990 and 1997

INTERVENTIONS

A reinforcement mesh was inserted when the hernia was more than 5 cm. In incisional hernias less than 5 cm the reinforcement mesh was inserted when the repair was under tension or when tissues were noted to be weak during the operation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Age, sex, obesity, the presence of bronchial disease, previous repair of the incisional hernia, type of surgery, size and site of hernia and presence of local complications during the immediate postoperative period.

RESULTS

Mean (SD) follow-up was 77 (6) months (minimum follow up two years). The hernia recurred in 43 cases (17%) (mean time of recurrence 10 (8) months). Age over 60 years, previous herniorrhaphy, size of hernia, and postoperative local complications were significant risk factors (p < 0.01) in both the univariate and multivariate analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients at the greater risk of recurrence are those aged over 60 years, with large, recurrent hernias and who develop local complications during the postoperative period.

Presenilin-1-associated abnormalities in regional cerebral perfusion

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of the presenilin-1 gene (PS-1) mutation on regional cerebral perfusion, SPECT was evaluated in 57 individuals. The subjects were members of a large pedigree from Colombia, South America, many of whom carry a PS-1 mutation for early-onset AD.

METHODS

Members of this large kindred who were cognitively normal and did not carry the PS-1 mutation (n = 23) were compared with subjects who were carriers of the mutation but were asymptomatic (n = 18) and with individuals with the mutation and a clinical diagnosis of AD (n = 16). Cerebral perfusion was measured in each subject using hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime SPECT. The data were analyzed in two ways: 1) Mean cerebral perfusion in each of 4320 voxels in the brain was compared among the groups using t-tests (t-maps); and 2) each individual received a weighted score on 20 vectors (factors), based on a large normative sample (n = 200), using a method known as singular value decomposition (SVD).

RESULTS

Based on t-maps, subjects with the PS-1 mutation who were asymptomatic demonstrated reduced perfusion in comparison with the normal control subjects in the hippocampal complex, anterior and posterior cingulate, posterior parietal lobe, and anterior frontal lobe. The AD patients demonstrated decreased perfusion in the posterior parietal and superior frontal cortex in comparison with the normal control subjects. Discriminant function analysis of the vector scores derived from SVD (adjusted for age and gender) accurately discriminated 86% of the subjects in the three groups (p < 0.0005).

CONCLUSION

Regional cerebral perfusion abnormalities based on SPECT are detectable before development of the clinical symptoms of AD in carriers of the PS-1 mutation.