High failure rate of the Duraloc Constrained Inlay

Background and purpose After total hip arthroplasty, dislocations are a frequent complication and are difficult to treat in some patients. A great variety of implants and antiluxation mechanisms are used in surgical therapy

Sporadic paediatric diarrhoeal illness in urban and rural sites in Nyanza province, Kenya

Objective: Investigate differences in the infectious aetiology, health seeking behaviour, and provider practices with regard to diarrhoeal illness among children presenting to urban versus rural clinics in Western Kenya.Design: Laboratory-based, passive surveillance.Setting: The urban portion of the study was conducted at the paediatric outpatient clinic of Nyanza Provincial Hospital in Kisumu. The rural portion of the study was conducted at four outpatient clinics in the Asembo Bay community approximately 20 kilometers west of Kisumu.Subjects: Children aged less than five years presenting to medical facilities for the treatment of diarrhoea from October 2001-October 2003 at the urban site and May 1997-April 2003 for the rural sites.Results: Among the 1303 urban and 1247 rural specimens collected, 24% of specimens yielded a bacterial pathogen (24% urban, 25% rural). Campylobacter was the predominant bacterial pathogen (17% urban, 15% rural), followed by Shigella and nontyphoidal Salmonella (both 4% urban and 5% rural). In both communities, susceptibilities of these pathogens to the most commonly prescribed antibiotics was low

Melting of polymer blends in single-screw extrusion : an experimental study

Melting is a major step in plasticating single screw extrusion, but most of the existing phenomenological know how was gathered by performing Maddock-type experiments with homopolymers. Given the current widespread industrial use of polymer blends, it is worth determining whether the same mechanisms and mathematical models apply, or whether different sequences develop. This work reports the results of Maddock-type experiments using a PA6/PP blend, both in its immiscible and compatibilized varieties. A melting mechanism combining the features of the classical Tadmor mechanism and of the dispersed melting mechanism, also previously reported in the literature, was observed.The authors are grateful to Portuguese Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia for supporting this work under grant SFRH/BD/19997/2004 and to DSM, the Netherlands, for supplying PA6

Gestational trophoblastic disease: does central nervous system chemoprophylaxis have a role?

In the UK there are standardized surveillance procedures for gestational trophoblastic disease. However, there are differences in practice between the two treatment centres in terms of definition of persistent gestational trophoblastic disease, prognostic risk assessment and chemotherapeutic regimens. The role of prophylactic chemotherapy for cerebral micrometastatic disease in persistent gestational trophoblastic disease is unclear. We have analysed the outcome of 69 patients with lung metastases who elsewhere might have received prophylactic intrathecal chemotherapy. Of the 69 patients, 67 received intravenous chemotherapy only. The other two patients had cerebral metastases at presentation. One patient who received only intravenous chemotherapy subsequently developed a cerebral metastasis, but this patient's initial treatment was compromised by non-compliance. This experience supports our current policy of not treating patients with pulmonary metastases, without clinical evidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement, with prophylactic intrathecal therapy. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Catheter-related bacteremia due to Kocuria rosea in a patient undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND: Micrococcus species may cause intracranial abscesses, meningitis, pneumonia, and septic arthritis in immunosuppressed or immunocompetent hosts. In addition, strains identified as Micrococcus spp. have been reported recently in infections associated with indwelling intravenous lines, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis fluids, ventricular shunts and prosthetic valves. CASE PRESENTATION: We report on the first case of a catheter-related bacteremia caused by Kocuria rosea, a gram-positive microorganism belonging to the family Micrococcaceae, in a 39-year-old man undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation due to relapsed Hodgkin disease. This uncommon pathogen may cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. CONCLUSIONS: This report presents a case of Kocuria rosea catheter related bacteremia after stem cell transplantation successfully treated with vancomycin and by catheter removal

Ultraviolet mutagenesis and inducible DNA repair in Caulobacter crescentus

The ability to reactivate ultraviolet (UV) damaged phage ΦCbK (W-reactivation) is induced by UV irradiation of Caulobacter crescentus cells. Induction of W-reactivation potential is specific for phage ΦCbK, requires protein synthesis, and is greatly reduced in the presence of the rec-526 mutation. The induction signal generated by UV irradiation is transient, lasting about 1 1/2–2 h at 30°C; if chloramphenicol is present during early times after UV irradiation, induction of W-reactivation does not occur. Induction is maximal when cells are exposed to 5–10 J/m 2 of UV, a dose that also results in considerable mutagenesis of the cells. Taken together, these observations demonstrate the existence of a UV inducible, protein synthesis requiring, transiently signalled, rec -requiring DNA repair system analogous to W-reactivation in Escherichia coli . In addition, C. crescentus also has an efficient photoreactivation system that reverses UV damage in the presence of strong visible light.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47557/1/438_2004_Article_BF00329935.pd

Molecular pedomorphism underlies craniofacial skeletal evolution in Antarctic notothenioid fishes

Background Pedomorphism is the retention of ancestrally juvenile traits by adults in a descendant taxon. Despite its importance for evolutionary change, there are few examples of a molecular basis for this phenomenon. Notothenioids represent one of the best described species flocks among marine fishes, but their diversity is currently threatened by the rapidly changing Antarctic climate. Notothenioid evolutionary history is characterized by parallel radiations from a benthic ancestor to pelagic predators, which was accompanied by the appearance of several pedomorphic traits, including the reduction of skeletal mineralization that resulted in increased buoyancy. Results We compared craniofacial skeletal development in two pelagic notothenioids, Chaenocephalus aceratus and Pleuragramma antarcticum, to that in a benthic species, Notothenia coriiceps, and two outgroups, the threespine stickleback and the zebrafish. Relative to these other species, pelagic notothenioids exhibited a delay in pharyngeal bone development, which was associated with discrete heterochronic shifts in skeletal gene expression that were consistent with persistence of the chondrogenic program and a delay in the osteogenic program during larval development. Morphological analysis also revealed a bias toward the development of anterior and ventral elements of the notothenioid pharyngeal skeleton relative to dorsal and posterior elements. Conclusions Our data support the hypothesis that early shifts in the relative timing of craniofacial skeletal gene expression may have had a significant impact on the adaptive radiation of Antarctic notothenioids into pelagic habitats

A comparative ultrastructural and molecular biological study on Chlamydia psittaci infection in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and non-alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency emphysema versus lung tissue of patients with hamartochondroma

BACKGROUND: Chlamydiales are familiar causes of acute and chronic infections in humans and animals. Human pulmonary emphysema is a component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a condition in which chronic inflammation manifested as bronchiolitis and intra-alveolar accumulation of macrophages is common. It is generally presumed to be of infectious origin. Previous investigations based on serology and immunohistochemistry indicated Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection in cases of COPD. Furthermore, immunofluorescence with genus-specific antibodies and electron microscopy suggested involvement of chlamydial infection in most cases of pulmonary emphysema, but these findings could not be verified by PCR. Therefore, we examined the possibility of other chlamydial species being present in these patients. METHODS: Tissue samples from patients having undergone lung volume reduction surgery for advanced alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD, n = 6) or non-alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency emphysema (n = 34) or wedge resection for hamartochondroma (n = 14) were examined by transmission electron microscopy and PCR. RESULTS: In all cases of AATD and 79.4% of non-AATD, persistent chlamydial infection was detected by ultrastructural examination. Intra-alveolar accumulation of macrophages and acute as well as chronic bronchiolitis were seen in all positive cases. The presence of Chlamydia psittaci was demonstrated by PCR in lung tissue of 66.7% AATD vs. 29.0% non-AATD emphysema patients. Partial DNA sequencing of four positive samples confirmed the identity of the agent as Chlamydophila psittaci. In contrast, Chlamydophila pneumoniae was detected only in one AATD patient. Lung tissue of the control group of non-smokers with hamartochondroma was completely negative for chlamydial bodies by TEM or chlamydial DNA by PCR. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate a role of Chlamydophila psittaci in pulmonary emphysema by linking this chronic inflammatory process to a chronic infectious condition. This raises interesting questions on pathogenesis and source of infection

In Vivo Serial MR Imaging of Magnetically Labeled Endothelial Progenitor Cells Homing to the Endothelium Injured Artery in Mice

Background: Emerging evidence of histopathological analyses suggests that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in vascular diseases. Neointimal hyperplasia can be reduced by intravenous transfusion of EPCs after vascular injury in mice. Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop an in vivo technique that can explore the temporal and spatial migration of EPCs homing to the damaged endothelium noninvasively. Methodology/Principal Findings: The left carotid common artery (LCCA) was injured by removal of endothelium with a flexible wire in Kunming mice. EPCs were collected by in vitro culture of spleen-derived mouse mononuclear cells (MNCs). EPCs labeling was carried out in vitro using Fe2O3-poly-L-lysine (Fe2O3-PLL). In vivo serial MR imaging was performed to follow-up the injured artery at different time points after intravenous transfusion of EPCs. Vessel wall areas of injured artery were computed on T2WI. Larger MR signal voids of vessel wall on T2WI was revealed in all 6 mice of the labeled EPC transfusion group 15 days after LCCA injury, and it was found only in 1 mouse in the unlabeled EPC transfusion group (p = 0.015). Quantitative analyses of vessel wall areas on T2WI showed that the vessel wall areas of labeled EPC transfusion group were less than those of unlabeled EPC transfusion group and control group fifteen days after artery injury (p,0.05). Histopathological analyses confirmed accumulation and distribution of transfused EPCs at the injury site of LCCA. Conclusions/Significance: These data indicate that MR imaging might be used as an in vivo method for the tracking of EPC

Quantum dynamics in strong fluctuating fields

A large number of multifaceted quantum transport processes in molecular systems and physical nanosystems can be treated in terms of quantum relaxation processes which couple to one or several fluctuating environments. A thermal equilibrium environment can conveniently be modelled by a thermal bath of harmonic oscillators. An archetype situation provides a two-state dissipative quantum dynamics, commonly known under the label of a spin-boson dynamics. An interesting and nontrivial physical situation emerges, however, when the quantum dynamics evolves far away from thermal equilibrium. This occurs, for example, when a charge transferring medium possesses nonequilibrium degrees of freedom, or when a strong time-dependent control field is applied externally. Accordingly, certain parameters of underlying quantum subsystem acquire stochastic character. Herein, we review the general theoretical framework which is based on the method of projector operators, yielding the quantum master equations for systems that are exposed to strong external fields. This allows one to investigate on a common basis the influence of nonequilibrium fluctuations and periodic electrical fields on quantum transport processes. Most importantly, such strong fluctuating fields induce a whole variety of nonlinear and nonequilibrium phenomena. A characteristic feature of such dynamics is the absence of thermal (quantum) detailed balance.Comment: review article, Advances in Physics (2005), in pres