Primary right atrium angiosarcoma mimicking pericarditis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primary cardiac neoplasms occur rarely and most of them are benign. Malignant tumors including angiosarcoma are extremely rare and have a non specific clinical presentation and a poor prognosis.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a case of a young male who was transferred to our hospital because of shock and multiple organ failure after a complicated pericardial biopsy. During the previous seven months he presented with recurrent episodes of pericardial effusions and tamponade. Chest computed tomography revealed a mass in the right atrium, infiltrating the myocardium and pericardium. During emergency surgery that followed, the patient died because of uncontrolled hemorrhage. Autopsy revealed the mass of the right atrium, which was identified on histological examination as primary cardiac angiosarcoma.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case highlights the difficulties both in early diagnosis and in the management of patients with cardiac angiosarcoma.</p

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Feldversuche und Simulationsansätze zur Wirksamkeit von Luftentkeimern mit UV-C-Quellen unter Berücksichtigung der Strömungsverhältnisse im Raum

UV-C (Ultraviolette Strahlung) wird seit Jahrzehnten in der Wasseraufbereitung (Sterilisation) und in RLT (Raumlufttechnischen)-Anlagen zur Desinfektion der Luft wie z.B. in Operationssälen in Krankenhäusern gegen verschiedenste pathogene Keime erfolgreich eingesetzt. Labormessungen und Feldversuche von Luftreinigern mit innenliegenden UV-C-Quellen sowie von indirekt nach oben strahlenden Luftreinigern (Upper-Air) zeigen die Wirksamkeit der UV-C-Luftreiniger gegenüber Keimen in der Luft. Durch neuartige kombinierte strahlungs- und raumlufttechnische Simulationsansätze kann die Bewertung der Wirksamkeit von Luftentkeimern auch rechnerisch ermittelt werden

The enhanced value of combining conventional and "omics" analyses in early assessment of drug-induced hepatobiliary injury

The InnoMed PredTox consortium was formed to evaluate whether conventional preclinical safety assessment can be significantly enhanced by incorporation of molecular profiling (" omics" ) technologies. In short-term toxicological studies in rats, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics data were collected and analyzed in relation to routine clinical chemistry and histopathology. Four of the sixteen hepato- and/or nephrotoxicants given to rats for 1, 3, or 14. days at two dose levels induced similar histopathological effects. These were characterized by bile duct necrosis and hyperplasia and/or increased bilirubin and cholestasis, in addition to hepatocyte necrosis and regeneration, hepatocyte hypertrophy, and hepatic inflammation. Combined analysis of liver transcriptomics data from these studies revealed common gene expression changes which allowed the development of a potential sequence of events on a mechanistic level in accordance with classical endpoint observations. This included genes implicated in early stress responses, regenerative processes, inflammation with inflammatory cell immigration, fibrotic processes, and cholestasis encompassing deregulation of certain membrane transporters. Furthermore, a preliminary classification analysis using transcriptomics data suggested that prediction of cholestasis may be possible based on gene expression changes seen at earlier time-points. Targeted bile acid analysis, based on LC-MS metabonomics data demonstrating increased levels of conjugated or unconjugated bile acids in response to individual compounds, did not provide earlier detection of toxicity as compared to conventional parameters, but may allow distinction of different types of hepatobiliary toxicity. Overall, liver transcriptomics data delivered mechanistic and molecular details in addition to the classical endpoint observations which were further enhanced by targeted bile acid analysis using LC/MS metabonomics. © 2010 Elsevier Inc