Urinary symptoms and Micromotions of bladder wall in chronic pelvic pain (CPP)

Chronic lower abdominal pain of unknown origin in women has intrigued many investigators. It is the gynecologist in particular to whom patients with this syndrome address for relief. AB a matter of fact not less than approximately 10% of patients visiting gynaecologists do so in cOlmection with CPP (I). Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is defined as a more or less continuous pain in the lower abdomen of unknown cause that has lasted for at least 6 months (2-5). Deep dyspareunia and radiation of pain to the lower back may also be present. Approximately 37% of women with CPP furthennore have urinary urgency although the results of urological exatninations are nonnal (see section II) (6). Although most studies on CPP have been carried out on women of feltile age, there are indications that this syndrome is not specifically reslIicted to patients in that age group. In a SlIldy involving 60 consecutive cases of CPP of all ages, 43% of the women hmled out to be 50 years or older (mean: 48; median: 48; range: 23-79 years) (see section II) (6,7). Different concepts about the origin of CPP have resulted in a wide variety of natnes given to tllis clinical feahrre (8), dependent on the diagnostic approach of the physician consulted by the patient (9

Concentrated Aqueous Piperazine as CO2 Capture Solvent: Detailed Evaluation of the Integration with a Power Plant☆

AbstractAn integrated energetic evaluation has been performed of a reference coal-fired power plant, a power plant with an advanced MEA-based post-combustion CO2 capture plant, and a power plant with a capture plant using concentrated piperazine (PZ) and high-pressure flash regeneration. This comparison shows that using a MEA-based capture plant reduces the net electric efficiency from 44.6% to 35.5%, while the PZ-based capture plant reduces it to 37.4%, corresponding to an efficiency penalty of only 7.2%

New concepts in relation to urge and detrusor activity

Investigations of micromotion characteristics of bladder wall strips and pressure wave phenomena in total bladders in vitro and in vivo indicate that micromotion phenomena occur in the bladder wall. Local contractions can occur without an increase in tension or pressure, because other parts are in antiphase. Local contractions stretch surrounding tissues, which can stimulate fast stretch receptors. Synchronisation of these micromotion phenomena appears to be possible. Hence, above threshold levels urge can theoretically occur, even in the absence of a pressure increase. This hypothesis could explain the weak relation between urge and pressure. The distinction between motor and sensory urge could be artifactual based on a misunderstanding of fundamental bladder wall processes

Community policing in the Netherlands: A continuously changing constant

__Abstract__ 1977 was an important year for the Dutch police as it was then that a seminal strategy document called ‘A Changing Police was published that would set the course for the next three decades. The writers of the report felt that for the police to bridge the growing gap between them and the society they serve, they would have to be innovative, and think outside of their usual security paradigms. They found their solution in community policing and the strategy document laid out the framework for Community Policing (COP) in the Netherlands. This document was widely considered a milestone in the development of Dutch policing (see Cachet et al. 1998). However, by 2005, the Dutch Board of Chief Commissioners felt it necessary to publish a new strategy document to once again map out the future of Dutch Policing. After nearly three decades, the Dutch police was again in need of a shared philosophy that would serve as a foundation for their mandate. This new document was titled ‘The Police in Evolution’ (PIE) but it stayed true to the values of COP by once again focusing on the local community and stressing community policing. In this paper we explore the establishment and development of Dutch COP. We look at several distinct phases in the long term development of Dutch COP, and examine the factors that explain the shifts that have taken place in the way Dutch COP is carried out. We ask also about the prospects of Dutch COP in the future. The paper will consist of four sections. In the first Section, we examine the historical roots and the development of Dutch COP since its inception in 1977. In Section 2, we look at the current state of affairs for COP in the Netherlands. In the third section, we put forward several explanations for the significant shifts that have taken place over the course of the COP’s 30-year history. In the fourth section, we discuss the prospects for Dutch COP in the coming years. Section 5 presents our conclusions

Candidate Gene-Based Association Study of Antipsychotic-Induced Movement Disorders in Long-Stay Psychiatric Patients: A Prospective Study

OBJECTIVE: Four types of antipsychotic-induced movement disorders: tardive dyskinesia (TD), parkinsonism, akathisia and tardive dystonia, subtypes of TD (orofacial and limb truncal dyskinesia), subtypes of parkinsonism (rest tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia), as well as a principal-factor of the movement disorders and their subtypes, were examined for association with variation in 10 candidate genes (PPP1R1B, BDNF, DRD3, DRD2, HTR2A, HTR2C, COMT, MnSOD, CYP1A2, and RGS2). METHODS: Naturalistic study of 168 white long-stay patients with chronic mental illness requiring long-term antipsychotic treatment, examined by the same rater at least two times over a 4-year period, with a mean follow-up time of 1.1 years, with validated scales for TD, parkinsonism, akathisia, and tardive dystonia. The authors genotyped 31 SNPs, associated with movement disorders or schizophrenia in previous studies. Genotype and allele frequency comparisons were performed with multiple regression methods for continuous movement disorders. RESULTS: VARIOUS SNPS REACHED NOMINAL SIGNIFICANCE: TD and orofacial dyskinesia with rs6265 and rs988748, limb truncal dyskinesia with rs6314, rest tremor with rs6275, rigidity with rs6265 and rs4680, bradykinesia with rs4795390, akathisia with rs4680, tardive dystonia with rs1799732, rs4880 and rs1152746. After controlling for multiple testing, no significant results remained. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that selected SNPs are not associated with a susceptibility to movement disorders. However, as the sample size was small and previous studies show inconsistent results, definite conclusions cannot be made. Replication is needed in larger study samples, preferably in longitudinal studies which take the fluctuating course of movement disorders and gene-environment interactions into account

Similar ex vivo expansion and post-irradiation regenerative potential of juvenile and aged salivary gland stem cells

AbstractBackground and purposeSalivary gland dysfunction is a major side effect of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer patients, which in the future might be salvaged by autologous adult salivary gland stem cell (SGSC) therapy. Since frail elderly patients may have decreased activity of SGSCs, we aimed to characterize the potential of aged SGSC-population in a murine model.Materials and methodsSalivary glands and salisphere-derived cells from young and old mice were tested for CD24 and CD29 stem cell marker expression using FACS. Moreover, in vitro expansion capability and in vivo regeneration potential upon post-irradiation transplantation of young and aged SGSCs were measured.ResultsAn increase in CD24hi/CD29hi putative stem cells was detected in aged salivary glands albeit with a decrease in functional ability to form salispheres. However, the salispheres formed from aged mice salivary glands expressed CD24hi/CD29hi to the same extent as the ones from young mice. Moreover, following exposure to adequate growth conditions old and young SGSCs exhibited similar in vitro expansion- and in vivo regeneration potential.ConclusionsAged SGSCs although reduced in number are in vitro indistinguishable from young SGSCs and could potentially be used to ameliorate age- or treatment related salivary gland dysfunction

The genetics of drug-related movement disorders, an umbrella review of meta-analyses

This umbrella review investigates which genetic factors are associated with drug-related movement disorders (DRMD), in an attempt to provide a synthesis of published evidence of candidate-gene studies. To identify all relevant meta-analyses, a literature search was performed. Titles and abstracts were screened by two authors and the methodological quality of included meta-analyses was assessed using 'the assessment of multiple systematic reviews' (AMSTAR) critical appraisal checklist. The search yielded 15 meta-analytic studies reporting on genetic variations in 10 genes. DRD3, DRD2, CYP2D6, HTR2A, COMT, HSPG2 and SOD2 genes have variants that may increase the odds of TD. However, these findings do not concur with early genome-wide association studies. Low-power samples are susceptible to 'winner's curse', which was supported by diminishing meta-analytic effects of several genetic variants over time. Furthermore, analyses pertaining to the same genetic variant were difficult to compare due to differences in patient populations, methods used and the choice of studies included in meta-analyses. In conclusion, DRMD is a complex phenotype with multiple genes that impact the probability of onset. More studies with larger samples using other methods than by candidate genes, are essential to developing methods that may predict the probability of DRMD. To achieve this, multiple research groups need to collaborate and a DRMD genetic database needs to be established in order to overcome winner's curse and publication bias, and to allow for stratification by patient characteristics. These endeavours may help the development of a test with clinical value in the prevention and treatment of DRMD