Differential expressions and activities of the cysteine proteinases of cellular slime molds (Dictyostelium discoideum, Polysphondylium pallidum).

In the present study the differential expression of the cysteine proteinases (CPs) has been examined in detail for two slime molds i.e., the AX3 strain of Dictyostelium discoideum and the WS320 strain of Polysphondylium pallidum. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peptidoglycan both components of the bacterial cell wall were tested for the CPCF activity. Additionally the effects of the presence bacterial components on the germination kinetics were examined. This study shows that peptidoglycan is a very likely candidate for being cysteine proteinase converting factor. The peptidoglycan was able to induce changes in the types of proteinases expressed in the slime molds within the time expected time period. Secondly, it was able to override the dormancy of the wild type young spores of NC4, and it also affected the germination kinetics of SG1 spores by decreasing the lag period. Similar effects have been noted when whole bacterial cell extracts were used. Further, this work also supports the view that the conformational change is responsible for the activation of cysteine proteinases in slime molds. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Biological Sciences. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1999 .W65. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-03, page: 0640. Adviser: D. A. Cotter. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1999

A complex case of abdominal pain in a patient with pelviureteric junction obstruction

Pelviureteric junction (PUJ) obstruction is a condition frequently encountered in both adult and pediatric patients. Congenital abnormalities and crossing lower-pole renal vessels are the most common underlying pathologies in both men and women. This report presents a case of a young woman who was complaining of intermittent abdominal pain in whom right-sided hydronephrosis was diagnosed. The patient was scheduled for a laparoscopic right-sided Anderson-Hynes pyeloplasty. During the procedure a partly extraperitoneal appendix, with extensive adhesions to the posterior abdominal wall abutting on the ureter just below the obstructed PUJ, was identified. The patient underwent dismembered laparoscopic Anderson-Hynes pyeloplasty with concurrent appendectomy for likely dual pathologies being responsible for her symptoms

Altered functional brain imaging in migraine patients: BOLD preliminary study in migraine with and without aura

Design. Migraine is regarded as a complex brain dysfunction of sensory and modulatory networks with the secondary sensitisation of the trigeminal system as well as the affected brain area’s activities. The particular role of the hippocampus and the brainstem in the first phase of the attack, the disrupted cognitive network, and the activation of the limbic and visual systems, are the main discoveries in the field of migraine imaging that have been achieved using functional techniques. Thus advanced neuroimaging has been widely employed to study the pathogenesis of migraine. Objective. The evaluation of fMRI BOLD images of migraine patients with or without aura, with particular attention to the interictal phase. Subjects and Methods. The aim of this study was to compare brain activity during visual stimuli by fMRI BOLD in the interictal phase (black and white checkerboard tests, static or flickering) of 16 migraine patients, eight with aura and eight without. Results. We demonstrated differences in the right part of the brainstem, the left part of the cerebellum, and in the right middle temporal gyrus. However, the bilateral brain activation in the occipital and frontal lobe remained similar. Conclusions. Results of our preliminary study suggest that migraine with aura and migraine without aura might be separate disorders, and this requires further investigation

The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques in the evaluation of patients with disorders of consciousness : a case report

Purpose: The management of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) constitutes a challenge for clinicians. Case report: We present the case of a 66-year-old man who developed coma with subsequent DOC after a severe traumatic brain injury. Behavioural assessment constitutes the gold standard in the evaluation of patients with DOC. In the case presented herein the neuropsychological findings were ambiguous, and the patient underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine whether he was in a vegetative state or minimally conscious state. Three paradigms: passive, active, and resting state fMRI were used to study the brain activity in our patient. Conclusions: fMRI provided reliable evidence of preserved minimal consciousness. The neuroimaging techniques used in our patient were vital for his further treatment

Diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic hypothermia in hospitals : a pilot study

Background: An unintentional drop in core body temperature of trauma victims is associated with increased mortality. Thermoregulation is impaired in these patients, especially when treated with opioids or anesthetics. Careful thermal insulation and active warming are necessary to maintain normothermia. The aim of the study was to assess the equipment and procedures for diagnosing and managing post-traumatic hypothermia in Polish hospitals. Methods: Survey forms regarding equipment and procedures on monitoring of core temperature (Tc) and active warming were distributed to every hospital that admits trauma victims in the Holy Cross Province. Questionnaires were addressed to surgery departments, intensive care units (ICUs), and operating rooms (ORs). Results: 92% of surgery departments did not have equipment to measure core body temperature and 85% did not have equipment to rewarm patients. Every ICU had equipment to measure Tc and 83% had active warming devices. In 50% of ICUs, there were no rewarming protocols based on Tc and the initiation of rewarming was left to the physician’s discretion. In 58% of ORs, Tc was not monitored and in 33% the patients were not actively warmed. Conclusions: The majority of surveyed ICUs and ORs are adequately equipped to identify and treat hypothermia, however the criteria for initiating Tc monitoring and rewarming remain unstandardized. Surgery departments are not prepared to manage post-traumatic hypothermia

The Development of Cortical Responses to the Integration of Audiovisual Speech in Infancy

In adults, the integration of audiovisual speech elicits specific higher (super-additive) or lower (sub-additive) cortical responses when compared to the responses to unisensory stimuli. Although there is evidence that the fronto-temporal network is active during perception of audiovisual speech in infancy, the development of fronto-temporal responses to audiovisual integration remains unknown. In the current study, 5-month-olds and 10-month-olds watched bimodal (audiovisual) and alternating unimodal (auditory + visual) syllables. In this context we use alternating unimodal to denote alternating auditory and visual syllables that are perceived as separate syllables by adults. Using fNIRS we measured responses over large cortical areas including the inferior frontal and superior temporal regions. We identified channels showing different responses to bimodal than alternating unimodal condition and used multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to decode patterns of cortical responses to bimodal (audiovisual) and alternating unimodal (auditory + visual) speech. Results showed that in both age groups integration elicits cortical responses consistent with both super- and sub-additive responses in the fronto-temporal cortex. The univariate analyses revealed that between 5 and 10 months spatial distribution of these responses becomes increasingly focal. MVPA correctly classified responses at 5 months, with key input from channels located in the inferior frontal and superior temporal channels of the right hemisphere. However, MVPA classification was not successful at 10 months, suggesting a potential cortical re-organisation of audiovisual speech perception at this age. These results show the complex and non-gradual development of the cortical responses to integration of congruent audiovisual speech in infancy

Longitudinal effects of a nurse-managed comprehensive cardiovascular disease prevention program for hospitalized coronary heart disease patients and primary care high-risk patients

Background: The EUROACTION study (nurse‑coordinated multidisciplinary, family‑based cardiovascular disease prevention program) documented the efficacy of a nurse‑managed, comprehensive prevention program in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). No information was available on survival. Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the effects of EUROACTION intervention on CVD risk factors and 12‑year survival in the Polish component of the study. Methods: Two district hospitals and 2 primary care practices were allocated randomly to intervention (INT) or usual care (UC). The primary endpoints were lifestyle and risk factors changes at 1‑year follow‑up. Differences in survival were analyzed using the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: The study involved 628 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 711 high‑risk patients. Compared to UC, INT patients achieved healthier lifestyles and a larger reduction of risk factors at 1 year but these differences were not maintained 12 years after the intervention. Less deaths occurred in patients from the INT hospital and from INT primary practice (hazard ratio [HR], 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42–0.82 and HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.3–0.95, respectively). Adjustment for the covariates slightly attenuated the estimates and removed significance (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.52–1.04 and HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.36–1.24, respectively). For combined CHD and high‑risk patient groups, compared with UC, INT patients had a 36% lower risk of death after adjustment for age, sex, and history of CHD (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48–0.86). Conclusions: The impact of the EUROACTION intervention on lifestyle and CVD risk factors could have contributed to lower mortality in INT coronary and high‑risk patients. These results emphasize the need for sustaining the interventions to help patients maintain a healthy lifestyle

Differences in diffusion tensor imaging parameters of brain white matter tracts between patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 and type 2 — a retrospective single-centre study

Introduction. The main aim of our study was to compare diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters in patients with myotonic dystrophy types 1 and 2 (DM1 and DM2). Clinical rationale for the study. To ascertain whether DTI could be used to assess the integrity of white matter tracts in the brain and identify any abnormalities or disruptions in connectivity between different brain regions in patients with DM. By providing a more detailed understanding of the structural changes in the brain associated with DM, could DTI potentially be used to develop more effective treatments for the cognitive and neurological symptoms of the disorder? Material and methods. We retrospectively compared MRI scans of 19 patients with DM1 to those of 23 healthy, matched controls, and of 16 patients with DM2 to those of 20 healthy, matched controls, and finally compared the DM1 and DM2 samples. Fraction anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) values were assessed using Tract Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Results. In patients with DM1, a statistically significant decrease in the values of the FA parameter was revealed in 45/48 white matter tracts compared to patients with DM2. There was no statistically significant decrease in the values of the FA parameter in patients with DM2 compared to DM1. The values of MD and RD were significantly higher in 47 tracts in DM1 patients compared to DM2 patients. AD values were significantly higher in all 48 tracts in DM1 patients compared to DM2 patients. There were no tracts with increased MD, AD, or RD values in DM2 patients compared to DM1. Conclusions. Our results indicate diffuse disintegration of white matter pathways in DM patients, especially in the DM1 group. The damage to all types of fibres (association, commissural, and projection) may explain the diversity of clinical symptoms, which were more severe in the DM1 group of patients than in the DM2 group. Clinical implications. DTI in patients with DM may help us to understand the neural mechanisms underlying brain involvement during the disease. In future, it may help to identify biomarkers for disease progression and treatment response