Brain Monitored Propofol Ketamine for Elective Cosmetic Surgery

Brain monitored level of propofol hypnosis provides a numerically reproducible paradigm to block negative ketamine side effects. 50 mg IV ketamine 3 minutes prior to local anesthetic injection blocks virtually all midbrain NMDA receptors and is the basis for nonopioid preemptive analgesia. Opioid avoidance essentially eliminates postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) as well as the need for antiemetic agents. Over the past 20 years, no elective cosmetic surgical cases required hospital admission for either postoperative pain control or PONV

Using Structure to Explore the Sequence Alignment Space of Remote Homologs

Protein structure modeling by homology requires an accurate sequence alignment between the query protein and its structural template. However, sequence alignment methods based on dynamic programming (DP) are typically unable to generate accurate alignments for remote sequence homologs, thus limiting the applicability of modeling methods. A central problem is that the alignment that is “optimal” in terms of the DP score does not necessarily correspond to the alignment that produces the most accurate structural model. That is, the correct alignment based on structural superposition will generally have a lower score than the optimal alignment obtained from sequence. Variations of the DP algorithm have been developed that generate alternative alignments that are “suboptimal” in terms of the DP score, but these still encounter difficulties in detecting the correct structural alignment. We present here a new alternative sequence alignment method that relies heavily on the structure of the template. By initially aligning the query sequence to individual fragments in secondary structure elements and combining high-scoring fragments that pass basic tests for “modelability”, we can generate accurate alignments within a small ensemble. Our results suggest that the set of sequences that can currently be modeled by homology can be greatly extended

Can Friedberg’s Triad Solve Persistent Anesthesia Problems? Over-Medication, Pain Management, Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Summary:. Friedberg’s Triad is (1) measure the brain; (2) preempt the pain; (3) emetic drugs abstain. Persistent anesthesia problems include over- and under-medication, postoperative pain management, and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Inspired by Vinnik’s diazepam-ketamine paradigm, Friedberg’s propofol ketamine paradigm was first published in 1993. The 1997 addition of the bispectral (BIS) index brain monitor made the propofol ketamine paradigm numerically reproducible. The 1998 addition of the frontalis electromyogram (EMG) as a secondary trend to the BIS transformed the time-delayed BIS monitor into a real-time, extremely useful device. Before BIS monitoring, anesthesiologists only had heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) changes to guide depth of anesthesia. Not surprisingly, the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Awareness study showed no HR or BP changes in half of the patients experiencing awareness with recall. HR and BP changes may only reflect brain stem signs while consciousness and pain are processed at higher, cortical brain levels. BIS/electromyogram measurement can accurately reflect propofol effect on the cerebral cortex in real time. Although propofol requirements can vary as much as a hundred-fold, titrating propofol to 60 < BIS < 75 with baseline electromyogram assures every patient will be anesthetized to the same degree and allows more scientific analysis of outcomes. Numerous publications are cited to support the author’s 25-year clinical experience. Over that period, no office-based, cosmetic surgery patients were admitted to the hospital for unmanageable pain or postoperative nausea and vomiting. Friedberg’s Triad appears to solve persistent anesthesia problems