A Fatal Case of Herpes Simplex Encephalitis with Two False-Negative Polymerase Chain Reactions

An 88-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of altered mental status and seizures. His electrographic and imaging findings were suggestive of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE), for which he was empirically treated with acyclovir. He underwent two lumbar punctures 3 days apart; both cerebrospinal fluid analyses tested negative for herpes simplex virus (HSV) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These negative results and his continued deterioration after 9 days of acyclovir therapy prompted treatment with steroids for possible autoimmune encephalitis. Shortly after the change in management, the patient died from cardiac arrest. At autopsy, his brain showed both gross and microscopic evidence of encephalitis and was positive for HSV by immunohistochemistry. This fatal case of HSE emphasizes the limitations of HSV PCR and the importance of clinical suspicion in the diagnosis and management of this disease

9e biennale nationale de céramique : Voyage à travers le temps... l'espace... la vie...

This catalogue for the 9th ceramics biennial of Trois-Rivières reflects the diversity of works by 31 participating ceramists (as well as 60 participants from previous biennials), and documents the three exhibition components of the event. Revolving around the theme of travel – through time, space and life – texts by jury members emphasize changing paradigms, the archeological value of ceramics, and the transformative nature of travel. Brief statements by several artists. All texts (except for biographical notes) in French and English. Brief biographical notes on the artists

Disk-Shaped Amperometric Enzymatic Biosensor for in Vivo Detection of d-serine.

At the synapse, d-serine is an endogenous co-agonist for the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). It plays an important role in synaptic transmission and plasticity and has also been linked to several pathological diseases such as schizophrenia and Huntington's. The quantification of local changes in d-serine concentration is essential to further understanding these processes. We report herein the development of a disk-shaped amperometric enzymatic biosensor for detection of d-serine based on a 25 \u3bcm diameter platinum disk microelectrode with an electrodeposited poly-m-phenylenediamine (PPD) layer and an R. gracilis d-amino acid oxidase (RgDAAO) layer. The disk-shaped d-serine biosensor is 1-5 orders of magnitude smaller than previously reported probes and exhibits a sensitivity of 276 \u3bcA cm(-2) mM(-1) with an in vitro detection limit of 0.6 \u3bcM. We demonstrate its usefulness for in vivo applications by measuring the release of endogenous d-serine in the brain of Xenopus laevis tadpoles