Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: An easily overlooked neurologic emergency

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is an unpredictable iatrogenic neurologic emergency condition, mainly arising as an idiosyncratic reaction to antipsychotic agent use. It is characterized by distinctive clinical features including a change in mental status, generalized rigidity, hyperpyrexia, and dysautonomia. It can be lethal if not diagnosed and treated properly. Mortality and morbidity attributed to this syndrome have recently declined markedly due to greater awareness, earlier diagnosis, and intensive care intervention. In most cases, the syndrome occurs as a result of a rapid increase in a dose of neuroleptic, especially one of the long-acting ones. Pathophysiology behind this syndrome is attributed to a dopamine receptor blockade inside the neurons rendered by the offending drug and excessive calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal myocytes. Laboratory tests, although not diagnostic, may assist in assessing the severity of the syndrome and also the consequent complications. The syndrome has been described in all age groups and occurs more in males than in females. Genetics appears to be central regarding the etiology of the syndrome. Stopping the use of the offending agent, cold intravenous fluids, and removal of the causative agent and its possible active metabolites is the cornerstone of treatment. Periodic observation of psychotic patients recently started on antipsychotic medications, especially those being treated with depot preparations, may aid to an early diagnosis of the syndrome and lead to early treatment.publishedVersio

Creación de ayudas audiovisuales para el acompañamiento a estudiantes que no cumplen con los derechos básicos de aprendizaje en la asignatura de matemáticas de décimo grado

Este trabajo parte de la necesidad de los profesores de matemáticas que no cuentan con un método estructurado, oportuno y eficaz para el manejo de los múltiples vacíos que presentan los estudiantes, los cuales no permiten la compresión de los temas pertinentes de sus respectivos grados. El trabajo presenta una alternativa a esta problemática, brindando a los profesores un conjunto de materiales audiovisuales con los vacíos más recurrentes que presentan los estudiantes del grado décimo. En el capítulo 1 se identifica el porcentaje de estudiantes que presentan vacíos significativos del grado décimo a través de la entrevista de varios docentes de matemáticas que suman más de 30 años de experiencia en la enseñanza, además se identifican los vacíos más importantes y recurrentes que se presentan en los estudiantes. Luego en el capítulo 2 con la información suministrada por los docentes en el capítulo 1 se analiza los conceptos y operaciones identificados respecto a los lineamientos del Ministerio de Educación Nacional, específicamente respecto a los Estándares de competencias de aprendizaje y los Derechos Básicos de aprendizaje de décimo grado, con el fin identificar un conjunto de conceptos u operaciones que todo estudiante colombiano tiene derecho de aprender

Enhanced protein synthesis and secretion using a rational signal-peptide library approach as a tailored tool

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The supply and movement of Denarii in Roman Britain

Hoards of denarii are common in Britain and the number which have been recorded in detail means that it is now possible to suggest reasonably accurately what a ‘normal’ hoard of a particular date should look like. That being the case, we can then look for variation around that norm and both investigate and speculate what that variation means. A methodology is developed which suggests periods of faster and less rapid coin circulation which has implications for consideration of monetisation. The model also enables us to view where denarii entered circulation; unsurprisingly the army looms large in this picture. The methodology is directly transferable to other provinces and other periods where there are longlived, relatively stable monetary systems

Mistletoe lectin is not the only cytotoxic component in fermented preparations of Viscum album from white fir (Abies pectinata)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Preparations of mistletoe (<it>Viscum album</it>) are the form of cancer treatment that is most frequently used in the complementary medicine. Previous work has shown that these preparations are able to exert cytotoxic effects on carcinoma cells, the extent of which might be influenced by the host tree species and by the content of mistletoe lectin.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using colorimetric assays, we have now compared the cytotoxic effects of <it>Viscum album </it>preparations (VAPs) obtained from mistletoe growing on oak (<it>Quercus robur </it>and <it>Q. petraea</it>, VAP-Qu), apple tree (<it>Malus domestica</it>,, VAP-M), pine (<it>Pinus sylvestris</it>, VAP-P) or white fir (<it>Abies pectinata</it>, VAP-A), on the <it>in vitro </it>growth of breast and bladder carcinoma cell lines. While MFM-223, KPL-1, MCF-7 and HCC-1937 were the breast carcinoma cell lines chosen, the panel of tested bladder carcinoma cells comprised the T-24, TCC-SUP, UM-UC-3 and J-82 cell lines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Each of the VAPs inhibited cell growth, but the extent of this inhibition differed with the preparation and with the cell line. The concentrations of VAP-Qu, VAP-M and VAP-A which led to a 50 % reduction of cell growth (IC₅₀) varied between 0.6 and 0.03 mg/ml. Higher concentrations of VAP-P were required to obtain a comparable effect. Purified mistletoe lectin I (MLI) led to an inhibition of breast carcinoma cell growth at concentrations lower than those of VAPs, but the sensitivity towards purified MLI did not parallel that towards VAPs. Bladder carcinoma cells were in most cases more sensitive to VAPs treatment than breast carcinoma cells. The total mistletoe lectin content was very high in VAP-Qu (54 ng/mg extract), intermediate in VAP-M (25 ng/mg extract), and very low in VAP-P (1.3 ng/mg extract) and in VAP-A (1 ng/mg extract). As to be expected from the low content of mistletoe lectin, VAP-P led to relatively weak cytotoxic effects. Most remarkably, however, the lectin-poor VAP-A revealed a cytotoxic effect comparable to, or even stronger than, that of the lectin-rich VAP-Qu, on all tested bladder and breast carcinoma cell lines.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest the existence of cytotoxic components other than mistletoe lectin in VAP-A and reveal an unexpected potential of this preparation for the treatment of breast and bladder cancer.</p

Demographic responses of Daphnia magna fed transgenic Bt-maize

The food/feed quality of a variety of genetically modified (GM) maize expressing Cry1Ab Bt-toxin was tested over the life-cycle of Daphnia magna, an arthropod commonly used as model organism in ecotoxicological studies. Demographic responses were compared between animals fed GM or unmodified (UM) near isogenic maize, with and without the addition of predator smell. Age-specific data on survival and birth rates were integrated and analysed using life tables and Leslie matrices. Survival, fecundity and population growth rate (PGR) data generally disfavoured transgenic Bt-maize as feed for D. magna compared to animals fed the unmodified (UM) near isogenic line of maize. Decomposition of age-specific effects revealed that the most important contributions to a reduced PGR in the GM-fed group came from both fecundity and survival differences early in life. We conclude that juvenile and young adult stages are the most sensitive experimental units and should be prioritized in future research. These stages are often omitted in toxicological/ecotoxicological studies and in feeding trials

Low-dose mistletoe lectin-I reduces melanoma growth and spread in a scid mouse xenograft model

This study investigates the effects of mistletoe lectin-I (ML-I) on melanoma growth and spread in vivo. The human melanoma cell line MV3 was xenografted into severe combined immunodeficient mice and vehicle solution or purified ML-I was administered at 30, 150 and 500 ng per kg body weight (20 mice per group) daily. After 19 days, mice were killed, primary tumours (PTs) and lungs were dissected out, and tumour weights, number of lung metastases (LMs), number of tumour-infiltrating dendritic cells (DCs), and apoptosis rates in the melanoma cells and in the DCs were assessed. A 35% reduction of PT weight (P=0.03) and a 55% decrease in number of LMs (P=0.016) were evident for low-dose ML-I (30 ng kg−1) treatment but not for higher doses. Mistletoe lectin-I increased apoptosis rates in the melanoma cells of PTs at all doses, while no induction of apoptosis was noted in the LMs. Low-dose ML-I significantly increased the number of DCs infiltrating the PTs (P<0.0001) and protected DCs against apoptosis, while higher doses induced apoptosis in the DCs (P<0.01). Our results demonstrate that low-dose ML-I reduced melanoma growth and number of metastases in vivo, primarily due to immunomodulatory effects