Standardized cannabis in multiple sclerosis: a case report

A 52 year old female suffering from severe progressive multiple sclerosis was administered quantifiable amounts of standardized cannabis and monitored over the period of one year, while providing daily pain charts and records of her condition. An average daily intake of 500 mg of Tetrahydrocannabinol as cannabis was required to achieve a desired quality of life

Eupelmus niger (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), a Parasitoid of the Endangered Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus anthracinus (Hymenoptera: Colletidae)

Eupelmus (Eupelmus) niger Ashmead, 1901 (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eupelmidae, Eupelminae), the first-ever species of Eupelmus Dalman described from Hawai‘i, is newly recorded from O‘ahu island as a solitary, primary parasitoid of the brood of the endangered Hawaiian yellow-faced bee Hylaeus anthracinus (F. Smith) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) and the non-native nimble masked bee, Hylaeus (Indialaeus) strenuus (Cameron). Both sexes are described, including, for the first time, males, and illustrated along with the female holotype through macrophotography. The biology of E. niger is discussed relative to rearing from artificial nest blocks

Reading the back page : listening to clergy serving in the presbyterian church (USA) reflecting on professional burnout

This volume includes a wide range of papers that explore individual and institutional aspects of religion from a social-science perspective. The special section has articles from research groups in Europe, the USA and Australia on clergy work-related psychological health, stress, burnout and coping strategies. The general papers include studies on coping strategies among Buddhists, gender differences in response to church decline, teenage participation in religion, social capital among Friends of Cathedrals, psychological profiles of clergy, education effects on Roman Catholic deacons, and an analysis of prayer requests. Together these papers form a valuable collection indicating the depth and vibrancy of research in these field

Varying efficacy of artesunate+amodiaquine and artesunate+sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a report of two in-vivo studies

BACKGROUND: Very few data on anti-malarial efficacy are available from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DRC changed its anti-malarial treatment policy to amodiaquine (AQ) and artesunate (AS) in 2005. METHODS: The results of two in vivo efficacy studies, which tested AQ and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) monotherapies and AS+SP and AS+AQ combinations in Boende (Equatorial province), and AS+SP, AS+AQ and SP in Kabalo (Katanga province), between 2003 and 2004 are presented. The methodology followed the WHO 2003 protocol for assessing the efficacy of anti-malarials in areas of high transmission. RESULTS: Out of 394 included patients in Boende, the failure rates on day 28 after PCR-genotyping adjustment of AS+SP and AS+AQ were estimated as 24.6% [95% CI: 16.6-35.5] and 15.1% [95% CI: 8.6-25.7], respectively. For the monotherapies, failure rates were 35.9% [95% CI: 27.0-46.7] for SP and 18.3% [95% CI: 11.6-28.1] for AQ. Out of 207 patients enrolled in Kabalo, the failure rate on day 28 after PCR-genotyping adjustment was 0 [1-sided 95% CI: 5.8] for AS+SP and AS+AQ [1-sided 95% CI: 6.2]. It was 19.6% [95% CI: 11.4-32.7] for SP monotherapy. CONCLUSION: The finding of varying efficacy of the same combinations at two sites in one country highlights one difficulty of implementing a uniform national treatment policy in a large country. The poor efficacy of AS+AQ in Boende should alert the national programme to foci of resistance and emphasizes the need for systems for the prospective monitoring of treatment efficacy at sentinel sites in the country

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy of primary irresectable unicentric Castleman's disease: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Castleman disease (CD) is a rare benign disorder characterised by hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue that may develop at a single site or throughout the body. The etiology of this disorder is unclear, although the histopathological presentation can be differentiated into a hyaline vascular variant, a plasma cell variant and a mixed variant. Clinically, it has been recorded that 3 manifestations of CD are characterized: a localized unicentric type, a generalized multicentric type and a mixed form. Surgery remains the main treatment for resectable unicentric CD, since removal of the large node is possible without further complications. No consensus has been reached concerning the most adequate treatment for irresectable unicentric CD.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Case report of a 67 year old woman.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This report, describes the case of a 67-year-old woman with unicentric Castleman disease located in the right lower abdomen. The patient had symptoms of fatigue, dyspnoea and pain in the right lower abdomen. Computed tomography (CT)- examination revealed a tumour, which had grown to form a close relationship with the common iliac vessels and the sacral bone. A Laparotomy procedure revealed that the tumour was an irresectable mass. Neo-adjuvant radiotherapy (40 Gy) was administered in order to downsize the tumour. Six weeks later a new CT-scan revealed a major reduction of the tumour, which enabled a successful radical resection of the tumour to be performed. Histopathological analysis of the tumour showed the hyaline vascular type of CD.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Neo-adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered in case of an irresectable unicentric CD.</p

A powerful bursting radio source towards the Galactic Centre

Transient astronomical sources are typically powered by compact objects and usually signify highly explosive or dynamic events. While radio astronomy has an impressive record of obtaining high time resolution observations, usually it is achieved in quite narrow fields-of-view. Consequently, the dynamic radio sky is poorly sampled, in contrast to the situation in the X- and gamma-ray bands in which wide-field instruments routinely detect transient sources. Here we report a new transient source, GCRT J1745-3009, detected in 2002 during a moderately wide-field radio transient monitoring program of the Galactic center (GC) region at 0.33 GHz. The characteristics of its bursts are unlike those known for any other class of radio transient. If located in or near the GC, its brightness temperature (~10^16 K) and the implied energy density within GCRT J1745-3009 vastly exceeds that observed in most other classes of radio astronomical sources, and is consistent with coherent emission processes rarely observed. We conclude that GCRT J1745-3009 is the first member of a new class of radio transient sources, the first of possibly many new classes to be identified through current and upcoming radio surveys.Comment: 16 pages including 3 figures. Appears in Nature, 3 March 200

'Special K' and a loss of cell-to-cell adhesion in proximal tubule-derived epithelial cells: modulation of the adherens junction complex by ketamine

Ketamine, a mild hallucinogenic class C drug, is the fastest growing ‘party drug’ used by 16–24 year olds in the UK. As the recreational use of Ketamine increases we are beginning to see the signs of major renal and bladder complications. To date however, we know nothing of a role for Ketamine in modulating both structure and function of the human renal proximal tubule. In the current study we have used an established model cell line for human epithelial cells of the proximal tubule (HK2) to demonstrate that Ketamine evokes early changes in expression of proteins central to the adherens junction complex. Furthermore we use AFM single-cell force spectroscopy to assess if these changes functionally uncouple cells of the proximal tubule ahead of any overt loss in epithelial cell function. Our data suggests that Ketamine (24–48 hrs) produces gross changes in cell morphology and cytoskeletal architecture towards a fibrotic phenotype. These physical changes matched the concentration-dependent (0.1–1 mg/mL) cytotoxic effect of Ketamine and reflect a loss in expression of the key adherens junction proteins epithelial (E)- and neural (N)-cadherin and β-catenin. Down-regulation of protein expression does not involve the pro-fibrotic cytokine TGFβ, nor is it regulated by the usual increase in expression of Slug or Snail, the transcriptional regulators for E-cadherin. However, the loss in E-cadherin can be partially rescued pharmacologically by blocking p38 MAPK using SB203580. These data provide compelling evidence that Ketamine alters epithelial cell-to-cell adhesion and cell-coupling in the proximal kidney via a non-classical pro-fibrotic mechanism and the data provides the first indication that this illicit substance can have major implications on renal function. Understanding Ketamine-induced renal pathology may identify targets for future therapeutic intervention

Exposure and impact of a mass media campaign targeting sexual health amongst Scottish men who have sex with men: an outcome evaluation

Background: This paper explores the exposure and impact of a Scottish mass media campaign: Make Your Position Clear. It ran from October 2009 to July 2010, targeted gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), and had two key aims: to promote regular sexual health and HIV testing every 6 months, and to promote the use of appropriate condoms and water-based lubricant with each episode of anal intercourse. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (anonymous and self-report) was conducted 10 months after the campaign was launched (July 2010). Men were recruited from commercial venues. Outcome measures included use of lubricant, testing for sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and intentions to seek HIV testing within the following six months. Linear-by-linear chi-square analysis and binary logistic regressions were conducted to explore the associations between the outcome measures and campaign exposure. Results: The total sample was 822 men (62.6% response rate). Men self-identifying as HIV positive were excluded from the analysis (n = 38). Binary logistic analysis indicated that those with mid or high campaign exposure were more likely to have been tested for HIV in the previous six months when adjusted for age, area of residence and use of the “gay scene” (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.26 to 3.06, p = .003), but were not more likely to be tested for STIs (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI = 0.88 to 2.16, p = .167). When adjusted for previous HIV testing, those with mid or high campaign exposure were not more likely to indicate intention to be tested for HIV in the following six months (AOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 0.73 to 2.32, p = .367). Those with no campaign exposure were less likely than those with low exposure to have used appropriate lubricant with anal sex partners in the previous year (AOR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.77, p = .005). Conclusions: The campaign had demonstrable reach. The analysis showed partial support for the role of mass media campaigns in improving sexual health outcomes. This suggests that a role for mass media campaigns remains within combination HIV prevention