Randomised trial comparing hysterectomy with endometrial ablation for dysfunctional uterine bleeding: psychiatric and psychosocial aspects

OBJECTIVE: To compare in psychiatric and psychosocial terms the outcome of hysterectomy and endometrial ablation for the treatment of dysfunctional uterine bleeding. DESIGN: Prospective randomised controlled trial. SETTING--Obstetrics and gynaecology department of a large teaching hospital. SUBJECTS: 204 women with dysfunctional bleeding for whom hysterectomy would have been the preferred treatment were recruited over 24 months and randomly allocated to hysterectomy (99 women) or to hysteroscopic surgery (transcervical resection (52 women) or laser ablation (53 women). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mental state, martial relationship, psychosocial and sexual adjustment in assessments conducted before the operation and one month, six months, and 12 months later. RESULTS: Both treatments significantly reduced the anxiety and depression present before the operation, and there were no differences in mental health between the groups at 12 months. Hysterectomy did not lead to postoperative psychiatric illness. Sexual interest after the operation did not vary with treatment. Overall, 46 out of 185 (25%) women reported a loss sexual interest and 50 out of 185 (27%) reported increased sexual interest. Marital relationships were unaffected by surgery. Personality and duration of dysfunctional uterine bleeding played no significant part in determining outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Hysteroscopic surgery and hysterectomy have a similar effect on psychiatric and psychosocial outcomes. There is no evidence that hysterectomy leads to postoperative psychiatric illness.     

Altered hippocampal kainate-receptor mRNA levels in temporal lobe epilepsy patients

This study determined whether hippocampal kainate (KA) receptor mRNA levels were increased or decreased in temporal lobe epilepsy patients compared with nonseizure autopsies. Hippocampal sclerosis (HS; n = 17), nonsclerosis (non-HS; n = 11), and autopsy hippocampi (n = 9) were studied for KA1-2 and GluR5-7 mRNA levels using semiquantitative in situ hybridization techniques, along with neuron densities. Compared with autopsy hippocampi, HS and non-HS cases showed decreased GluR5 and GluR6 hybridization densities per CA2 and/or CA3 pyramid. Furthermore, HS patients demonstrated increased KA2 and GluR5 hybridization densities per granule cell compared with autopsy hippocampi. These findings indicate that chronic temporal lobe seizures were associated with differential changes in hippocampal KA1-2 and GluR5-7 hybridization densities that vary by subfield and pathology group. In temporal lobe epilepsy patients, these results support the hypothesis that pyramidal cell GluR5 and GluR6 mRNA levels are decreased as a consequence of seizures, and in HS patients granule cell KA2 and GluR5 mRNA levels are increased in association with aberrant fascia dentata mossy fiber sprouting and/or hippocampal neuronal loss.     

BERRY SEEDS: A SOURCE OF SPECIALTY OILS WITH HIGH CONTENT OF BIOACTIVES AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Selected berry seed oils from blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, strawberry, red raspberry and kiwi were characterized for their quality and nutritional characteristics. These oils are by-products of berry juice production that have only recently gained commercial interest. Free fatty acid content was below 1.6% for all examined oil samples. Peroxide value ranged between 0.6 and 44 mg O₂/kg oil for blackberry and kiwi seed oils, respectively, and p -anisidine value varied from 6 in cranberry to 23 in strawberry. Linolenic acid content ranged from 17.53% in blackberry seed oil to 57.60% in kiwi seed oil. The oxidative stability of all oils was rather low (0.17 h for kiwi to 8.4 h for blackberry at 97.8C). Phytosterol contents ranged between 403 and 692 mg/100 g for blackberry and cranberry, respectively. The content of tocols (tocopherol  +  tocotrienol) varied from 34.4 for kiwi to 2,133 mg/kg for red raspberry seed oils.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

A waste stream of fruit processing is used to extract the oil from berry seeds. Such oils are particularly rich in essential fatty acids (with a favorable low n-6/n-3 ratio) and antioxidants. They are incorporated in cosmetic preparations such as hand and body creams, and shampoos. Their composition is also interesting from a nutritional point of view. As the commercial interest is growing, chemical studies are necessary to elucidate the composition, activity and stability of different berry seed oils.     

卷烟信息网络防伪系统的构建及应用

介绍了卷烟信息网络防伪管理系统构建原理、技术特点和功能 ,及其在烟草行业中的应用。     

INHIBITION OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES AND OTHER BACTERIA BY A PLANT ESSENTIAL OIL (DMC) IN SPANISH SOFT CHEESE

The inhibitory effects of a mixture of plant essential oils (DMC) were tested in culture media and Spanish soft cheese. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined in plate count agar and tryptose broth, with pH adjusted to 6.5, against Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus brevis, Micrococcus luteus, Salmonella cholerasuis, Escherichia coli O157:H7 , Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens. The mixture of essential oils inhibited all Gram-positive bacteria tested at 40 ppm, but higher concentrations were needed to inhibit Gram-negative bacteria, and no inhibitory effect was found against Ps. fluorescens. The effects of DMC against L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 were evaluated in Spanish soft cheese (Queso Fresco, pH=6.5) stored at 7C. DMC had a bacteriostatic effect against L. monocytogenes at concentrations of 2500 ppm but was ineffective to control the growth of E. coli O157:H7 .     

HLA-DRB1 genes and disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis. The MIRA Trial Group. Minocycline in Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of alleles encoding the "shared"/"rheumatoid" epitope on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease severity in patients who participated in the minocycline in RA (MIRA) trial. METHODS: Of 205 patients with a week-48 visit, blood was available for typing of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 in 174 (85%) and successfully completed in 169 (82%). Baseline erosions were used to assess disease severity and new erosions at the last visit served as a proxy for progression. RESULTS: At baseline, there was no association between the presence of erosive disease or rheumatoid factor status and the dose of rheumatoid epitope (homozygous, heterozygous, none) or the specific alleles identified. At the final visit, a gradient was observed for the 3 allelic subgroups (and their gene doses) in the occurrence of new erosions among the Caucasian placebo-treated, but not the minocycline-treated, patients. A treatment group/HLA-DR4 epitope interaction was demonstrated in multivariate analyses. Approximately two-thirds of African-American patients did not have the rheumatoid epitope. CONCLUSION: HLA-DRB1 oligotyping may be useful in predicting the progression of disease in some Caucasian patients. Our study corroborates the infrequency of the epitope among African-American patients with RA.     

Carrageenan given as a jelly, does not initiate, but promotes the growth of aberrant crypt foci in the rat colon

We report a case of sperm cell seminoma caused by trauma. The data in the literature indicate the frequency is less than 5% of all seminomas. This case was exclusively located in the gonads and was a pure form. Orchidectomy with high ligature of the cord and adjuvant radiotherapy at the dose of 25 Gy centered on the para-aortic and subdiaphragmatic chains is adequate treatment. When inguinoscrotal surgery is performed, this zone must be irradiated with 25 Gy. Prognosis is satisfactory: 5-year survival is 100% with this protocol.     

Prospective, randomized trial of prolonged intracoronary urokinase infusion for chronic total occlusions in native coronary arteries

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of three dosing regimens of intracoronary urokinase for facilitated angioplasty of chronic total native coronary artery occlusions. BACKGROUND: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of chronically occluded (>3 months) native coronary arteries is associated with low initial success secondary to an inability to pass the guide wire beyond the occlusion. METHODS: Patients were enrolled if a chronic total occlusion >3 months old could not be crossed with standard angioplasty equipment. Of the 101 patients enrolled, 41 had successful guide wire passage and were excluded from urokinase treatment. The remaining 60 patients were randomized to receive one of three intracoronary dosing regimens of urokinase over 8 h (group A = 0.8 million U; group B = 1.6 million U; group C = 3.2 million U), and angioplasty was again attempted after completion of the urokinase infusion in 58 patients. RESULTS: Coronary angioplasty was successful in 32 patients (53%) (group A 52%, group B 50%, group C 59%, p = 0.86). This study had a 90% power to detect at least a 50% difference between dosing groups at alpha 0.05. Bleeding complications requiring blood transfusion did not differ significantly among the dosing groups (A 0%, B 15%, C 6%, p = 0.14), although major bleeding episodes were less common in group A (p < 0.05). There were no major procedural or in-hospital complications. Angiographic follow-up in 69% of the patients with successful angioplasty revealed target vessel patency in 91% but an angiographic restenosis rate of 59%. CONCLUSIONS: A prolonged supraselective intracoronary infusion of urokinase can be safely administered and may facilitate angioplasty of chronic total occlusions. Lower doses of urokinase are equally effective and result in fewer bleeding complications than do higher dosage regimens. Vessel patency is frequently maintained, but restenosis remains a problem.     

THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DIFFUSION PROCESS INSIDE PROLATE SPHEROIDAL SOLIDS

ABSTRACT

A numerical solution of the diffusion equation to describe solute transport inside ellipsoids, assuming a constant difiusion coefficient and a corrective boundary condition, is presented. The difiusion equation in a prolate spheroidal coordinate system was used for a hidimensional case. The finite volume method was employed to discretize the basic equation, utilizing a uniform grid size. The equation was solved irteratively using the Gauss-Seidel method. The effect of Biot number and the aspect ratio of the body on diffusion rate and concentration during the process is presented. Plots are presented for Biot numbers from 0.05 to infinity and aspect ratios of 1.1, 2.0 and 5.0. To investigate the effect of the aspect ratio, different results changing the aspect ratio for Bi= 1.0 are shown. The results show that the model is consistent and it may be used to solve other cases such as those that include cylinder and sphere geometry, and/ or those with variable diffusion coefficients with small modifications.