Systematic review and meta-analysis of en bloc vertebrectomy compared with intralesional resection for giant cell tumors of the mobile spine

Study Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Objective To compare the recurrence and perioperative complication rate of en bloc vertebrectomy (EV) and intralesional resection (IR) in the giant cell tumor of the mobile spine (SGCT). Methods We systematically searched publications in the PubMed and Embase databases for reports of SGCTs, excluding the sacrum. Two reviewers independently assessed all publications. A meta-analysis was performed using local recurrence and postoperative complications as the primary outcomes of interest. Results There were four articles reporting recurrence and two articles reporting postoperative complications. All included articles were case series. In all, 91 patients were included; 49 were treated with IR and 42 were treated with EV. Local recurrence rates were 36.7 and 9.5% in the IR and EV groups, respectively. Rates of postoperative complications were 36.4% with IR and 11.1% with EV. Overall, patients treated with EV not only had a lower recurrence rate (relative risk [RR] 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09 to 0.52) but also had a lower postoperative complication rate (RR 0.34; 95% CI 0.07 to 1.52) compared with IR. Conclusions Based on the limited data obtained from systematic review, SGCT patients treated with EV had a lower recurrence rate and fewer postoperative complications than those treated with IR

The pattern of mucocutaneous disorders in HIV – infected children attending care and treatment centres in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

\ud \ud HIV/AIDS is associated with a wide range of mucocutaneous disorders some of which are useful in the clinical staging and prognosis of the syndrome. There is paucity of information regarding the prevalence and pattern of mucocutaneous disorders among HIV infected children attending paediatric Care and Treatment Centres (CTC) in Dar es Salaam. To determine the prevalence and pattern of mucocutaneous disorders among HIV infected children attending public paediatric 'Care and Treatment Centres' in Dar es Salaam. This was a cross sectional descriptive study involving public paediatric 'Care and Treatment Centres' in Dar es Salaam. Clinical information was obtained using a questionnaire. Dermatological examination was carried out in daylight. Investigations were taken as appropriate. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program version 10.0. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were utilized. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Three hundred and forty seven HIV infected children (52% males) attending CTCs were recruited into the study. Mucocutaneous disorders were encountered in 85% of them. There was no gender difference in the prevalence of the infective mucocutaneous disorders but males had a higher prevalence of non-infective/inflammatory dermatoses (58%) than females (42%) (p = 0.02). Overall, mucocutaneous disorders (infective + non infective) were more prevalent in advanced stages of HIV disease. Children with advanced HIV disease had a significantly increased frequency of fungal and viral infections (43% and 25% respectively than those with less advanced disease; 24% and 13% respectively (p = 0.01). Seventy four percent of the HIV-infected children with mucocutaneous disorders were already on ART. Mucocutaneous disorders among HIV infected children attending Care and Treatment Centres are common and highly variable. Comprehensive management should also emphasize on the management of mucocutaneous disorders

The Probiotic Properties of Lactobacilli in Organic Pigs

Indigenous Lactobacilli are suitable probiotics because they adapt well in the hosts and ecological niches. Here we test local Lactobacillus for future application in the pigs as the farm-autogenous strains. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus isolated from the feces of antibiotic-free organic pigs. The properties include bile salt and pepsin tolerance, survival in storage (37 & 4 oC) and probiotic-packaging (50 oC) temperatures, antibiogram, and antagonistic activity against Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 13311 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Eighteen isolates with three different species were tested in this study as follows: L. reuteri (seven strains), L. mucosae (ten strains), and L. plantarum (one strain). Four isolates—L. reuteri-OP1, L. mucosae-OP2, L. mucosae-OP3, and L. reuteri-OP17—had good in vitro probiotic characteristics. Eleven isolates completely inhibited both E. coli and S. typhimurium. The other isolates are perfectly disabled, either E. coli or S. typhimurium. Despite that, they caused a reduction in the numbers of each pathogen. All Lactobacilli tested were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate, ampicillin, and imipenem. Most isolates were sensitive to clindamycin (72%), gentamicin (56%), and tetracycline (50%). Half of the proportions were somewhat sensitive/resistant to cefotaxime (39/44%), tetracycline (50/39%), and streptomycin (39/56%). One hundred percent of Lactobacilli were resistant to norfloxacin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and vancomycin, while 94% were resistant to enrofloxacin. Most of the local Lactobacilli passed in vitro tests, but the efficacy of probiotics in pigs awaits further in vivo investigation. Therefore, the potential probiotic strains derived from this study could be selected for further evaluation of their probiotic roles in economic pigs

Effects of Chitosan and Rosmarinate Esters on the Physical and Oxidative Stability of Liposomes

Liposomes have substantial potential to deliver bioactive compounds in foods. However, the oxidative degradation and physical instability of liposomes limit their utilization. This research evaluated the ability of chitosan and rosmarinic acid and its esters to increase the physical and oxidative stability of liposomes. Particle size analysis studies showed that the physical stability of liposomes was enhanced by depositing a layer of cationic chitosan onto the negatively charged liposomes. The combination of octadecyl rosmarinate (40 microM) and chitosan coating resulted in significantly greater inhibition of lipid oxidation in the liposomes compared to chitoson or octadecyl rosmarinate alone. Increasing the concentrations of octadecyl rosmarinate to a concentration of 40 microM in the chitosan-coated liposomes decreased lipid oxidation. Only butyl rosmarinate exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than free rosmarinic acid. Eicosyl rosmarinate (20 carbons) had lower antioxidant activity than all other rosmarinic acid derivatives. These results suggest that by combining the inclusion of appropriate antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid and the deposition of a chitosan coating onto the surface of liposomes may significantly increase the oxidative and physical stability of liposomes

Enhancing selective breeding for growth, slaughter traits and overall survival in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

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