The efficacy of endoscopic therapy in bleeding peptic ulcer patients

Background. Endotherapy is the primary modality for the control ofbleeding from peptic ulceration.Objective. To assess the efficacy of endoscopic intervention for high-risk bleeding peptic ulcer disease and to benchmark our surgical and mortality rates.Methods. Two hundred and twenty-seven patients with pepticulcers stratified by Rockall and Forrest scores as being at high risk for rebleeding underwent therapeutic intervention (adrenalin injection) between January 2004 and December 2009. The median age of the patients was 57 years (range 19 - 87 years); 60% were males.Results. Primary endoscopic haemostasis failed in 51/227 patients (22.5%); 18 patients (7.9%) required surgery for bleeding not controlled at initial or second endoscopy; and 29 patients (12.8%) died, 12 by day 3 and 17 by day 30. Fifteen patients, all with significant medical co-morbidity, died after successful primary endotherapy, and 4 died after surgery. Surgical patients required more blood (odds ratio (OR) 1.45, p=0.0001) than those not undergoing surgery, but had similar mortality. Rebleeding was the only predictor of death in patients who died by day 3 (OR 18.77). A high Rockall score was the only predictor of death by day 30 (OR 1.98).Conclusion. The overall surgical and mortality rates were 7.9% and 12.8%, respectively. Over half the deaths resulted from medical co-morbidity, despite successful primary endotherapy. This finding is supported by the use of the Rockall score as a predictor of mortality at day 30. Improving the technical success of primary endoscopic haemostasis, currently 77.5%, has the potential to reduce rebleeding after primary endotherapy, a predictor of death at day 3 in this study

Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) Improves Motor Recovery in the Rat Impactor Model for Spinal Cord Injury

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) improves outcome after experimental SCI by counteracting apoptosis, and enhancing connectivity in the injured spinal cord. Previously we have employed the mouse hemisection SCI model and studied motor function after subcutaneous or transgenic delivery of the protein. To further broaden confidence in animal efficacy data we sought to determine efficacy in a different model and a different species. Here we investigated the effects of G-CSF in Wistar rats using the New York University Impactor. In this model, corroborating our previous data, rats treated subcutaneously with G-CSF over 2 weeks show significant improvement of motor function

Genomic and Epigenomic Responses to Chronic Stress Involve miRNA-Mediated Programming

Stress represents a critical influence on motor system function and has been shown to impair movement performance. We hypothesized that stress-induced motor impairments are due to brain-specific changes in miRNA and protein-encoding gene expression. Here we show a causal link between stress-induced motor impairment and associated genetic and epigenetic responses in relevant central motor areas in a rat model. Exposure to two weeks of mild restraint stress altered the expression of 39 genes and nine miRNAs in the cerebellum. In line with persistent behavioural impairments, some changes in gene and miRNA expression were resistant to recovery from stress. Interestingly, stress up-regulated the expression of Adipoq and prolactin receptor mRNAs in the cerebellum. Stress also altered the expression of Prlr, miR-186, and miR-709 in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. In addition, our findings demonstrate that miR-186 targets the gene Eps15. Furthermore, we found an age-dependent increase in EphrinB3 and GabaA4 receptors. These data show that even mild stress results in substantial genomic and epigenomic changes involving miRNA expression and associated gene targets in the motor system. These findings suggest a central role of miRNA-regulated gene expression in the stress response and in associated neurological function

Postcopulatory sexual selection

The female reproductive tract is where competition between the sperm of different males takes place, aided and abetted by the female herself. Intense postcopulatory sexual selection fosters inter-sexual conflict and drives rapid evolutionary change to generate a startling diversity of morphological, behavioural and physiological adaptations. We identify three main issues that should be resolved to advance our understanding of postcopulatory sexual selection. We need to determine the genetic basis of different male fertility traits and female traits that mediate sperm selection; identify the genes or genomic regions that control these traits; and establish the coevolutionary trajectory of sexes

On supersymmetric quantum mechanics

This paper constitutes a review on N=2 fractional supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics of order k. The presentation is based on the introduction of a generalized Weyl-Heisenberg algebra W_k. It is shown how a general Hamiltonian can be associated with the algebra W_k. This general Hamiltonian covers various supersymmetrical versions of dynamical systems (Morse system, Poschl-Teller system, fractional supersymmetric oscillator of order k, etc.). The case of ordinary supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics corresponds to k=2. A connection between fractional supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics and ordinary supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics is briefly described. A realization of the algebra W_k, of the N=2 supercharges and of the corresponding Hamiltonian is given in terms of deformed-bosons and k-fermions as well as in terms of differential operators.Comment: Review paper (31 pages) to be published in: Fundamental World of Quantum Chemistry, A Tribute to the Memory of Per-Olov Lowdin, Volume 3, E. Brandas and E.S. Kryachko (Eds.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 200

Sensorimotor Experience Influences Recovery of Forelimb Abilities but Not Tissue Loss after Focal Cortical Compression in Adult Rats

Sensorimotor activity has been shown to play a key role in functional outcome after extensive brain damage. This study was aimed at assessing the influence of sensorimotor experience through subject-environment interactions on the time course of both lesion and gliosis volumes as well as on the recovery of forelimb sensorimotor abilities following focal cortical injury. The lesion consisted of a cortical compression targeting the forepaw representational area within the primary somatosensory cortex of adult rats. After the cortical lesion, rats were randomly subjected to various postlesion conditions: unilateral C5–C6 dorsal root transection depriving the contralateral cortex from forepaw somatosensory inputs, standard housing or an enriched environment promoting sensorimotor experience and social interactions. Behavioral tests were used to assess forelimb placement during locomotion, forelimb-use asymmetry, and forepaw tactile sensitivity. For each group, the time course of tissue loss was described and the gliosis volume over the first postoperative month was evaluated using an unbiased stereological method. Consistent with previous studies, recovery of behavioral abilities was found to depend on post-injury experience. Indeed, increased sensorimotor activity initiated early in an enriched environment induced a rapid and more complete behavioral recovery compared with standard housing. In contrast, severe deprivation of peripheral sensory inputs led to a delayed and only partial sensorimotor recovery. The dorsal rhizotomy was found to increase the perilesional gliosis in comparison to standard or enriched environments. These findings provide further evidence that early sensory experience has a beneficial influence on the onset and time course of functional recovery after focal brain injury

Life histories of the copepods Pseudocalanus minutus, P. acuspes (Calanoida) and Oithona similis (Cyclopoida) in the Arctic Kongsfjorden (Svalbard)

The year-round variation in abundance and stage-specific (vertical) distribution of Pseudocalanus minutus and Oithona similis was studied in the Arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Maxima of vertically integrated abundance were found in November with 111,297 ind m−2 for P. minutus and 704,633 ind m−2 for O. similis. Minimum abundances comprised 1,088 ind m−2 and 4,483 ind m−2 in June for P. minutus and O. similis, respectively. The congener P. acuspes only occurred in low numbers (15–213 ind m−2), and successful reproduction was debatable. Reproduction of P. minutus took place in May/June, and stage distribution revealed a 1-year life cycle with copepodids CIII, CIV, and CV as the overwintering stages. Oithona similis exhibited two main reproductive peaks in June and August/September, respectively. Moreover, it reproduced more or less continuously throughout the whole year with all stages occurring during the entire sampling period, suggesting two generations per year. Both species migrated towards greater depth in November, but O. similis preferred to stay longer in the upper 100 m as compared to Pseudocalanus. The reproduction of the two species in Kongsfjorden seemed to be linked to phytoplankton dynamics

Quality of life in childhood epilepsy with lateralized epileptogenic foci

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Measuring quality of life (QOL) helps to delineate mechanisms underlying the interaction of disease and psychosocial factors. In adults, epileptic foci in the left temporal lobe led to lower QOL and higher depression and anxiety as compared to the right-sided foci. No study addressed the development of QOL disturbances depending on the lateralization of epileptogenic focus. The objective of our study was to examine QOL in children with lateralized epileptiform discharges.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty-one parents of children with epilepsy filled the Health-Related Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE). Fifteen children had foci in the left hemisphere and sixteen in the right, as verified with Electroencephalography (EEG) examinations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found a significant correlation between foci lateralization and reduced QOL (Spearman's rho = 0.361, p < 0.046). Children with right hemispheric foci exhibited lower overall QOL, particularly in five areas: anxiety, social-activities, stigma, general-health, and quality-of-life.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We demonstrated for the first time that in children left- and right-hemispheric foci were associated with discordant QOL scores. Unlike in adults, foci in the right hemisphere led to worse emotional and social functioning demonstrating that seizures impact the brain differentially during development.</p

Glycan-dependent binding of galectin-1 to neuropilin-1 promotes axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) prevents axonal regeneration through binding to the neuropilin-1 (NRP-1)/PlexinA4 receptor complex. Here, we show that galectin-1 (Gal-1), an endogenous glycan-binding protein, selectively bound to the NRP-1/PlexinA4 receptor complex in injured neurons through a glycan-dependent mechanism, interrupts the Sema3A pathway and contributes to axonal regeneration and locomotor recovery after SCI. Although both Gal-1 and its monomeric variant contribute to de-activation of microglia, only high concentrations of wild-type Gal-1 (which co-exists in a monomer-dimer equilibrium) bind to the NRP-1/PlexinA4 receptor complex and promote axonal regeneration. Our results show that Gal-1, mainly in its dimeric form, promotes functional recovery of spinal lesions by interfering with inhibitory signals triggered by Sema3A binding to NRP-1/PlexinA4 complex, supporting the use of this lectin for the treatment of SCI patients.Fil: Quintá, Héctor Ramiro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pasquini, Juana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (i); Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Pasquini, Laura Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas; Argentin