Effect of nimodipine on infectious brain edema in rabbits

AIM: To study the effect of nimodipine (Nim) on infectious brain edema (BE). METHODS: An infectious BE model was induced by injection of Bordetella pertussis suspension (BPS) into right internal carotid artery in rabbits. Eighteen rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 6). Group BE: BPS (0.6 mL.kg-1) was given; group NS: normal saline was given as control; group Nim: 10 min after injection of BPS, Nim, 10 micrograms.kg-1, was injected i.v. as a bolus followed by continuous infusion of 0.75 microgram.kg-1.min-1. All the rabbits were kept under observation for 4 h. Evans blue staining was assessed; water, calcium, calmodulin (Cal), and sodium contents were determined in the right brain. RESULTS: Nim vs BE: water 82.2 +/- 1.0% vs 84.4 +/- 1.2 (P < 0.01); calcium 10.5 +/- 1.3 mmol.kg-1 dry tissue vs 17.5 +/- 1.4 (P < 0.01); Cal 15.9 +/- 1.8 mumol.kg-1 wet tissue vs 24.0 +/- 3.0 (P < 0.01); sodium 173 +/- 7 mmol.kg-1 dry tissue vs 275 +/- 38 (P < 0.05). No significant difference for Evans blue staining between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Nim had beneficial effect on the infectious BE.     

Benign breast changes and the risk for subsequent breast cancer: an update of the 1985 consensus statement. Cancer Committee of the College of American Pathologists

The Cancer Committee of the College of American Pathologists has prepared an update of the consensus statement on premalignant breast lesions and breast cancer risk that was originally published in the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine in 1986. The objective of this publication is to better define the relative breast cancer risk associated with specific histologic abnormalities by incorporating data derived from recent case-control studies. Explanatory notes are used to document and explain specific risk classifications. In addition to refining the degree of risk associated with individual lesions, such as fibroadenoma and atypical hyperplasia, this update includes a discussion of age-specific breast cancer risk and provides examples that can be used when counseling patients.     

New unified laws in fatigue: From the Wöhler’s to the Paris’ regime

Generalizations and unification of the celebrated Paris’ and Wöhler’s laws for fatigue crack propagation are derived by applying the recently developed quantized (or finite) fracture mechanics. In particular, three generalized Paris’, Wöhler’s or unified laws are proposed and compared, demonstrating their applicability for predicting the life time of structures containing from small (the Wöhler’s regime) to large (the Paris’ regime) propagating fatigue cracks.     

Comparative Coreflood Studies for Precipitation and Adsorption Squeeze with PPCA as the Scales Inhibitor

Comparative adsorption and precipitation squeezes carried out on field core materials demonstrate that significant lifetime enhancement is achievable for precipitation squeeze with respect to more conventional adsorption squeeze. Coreflood tests have been carried out under reservoir conditions (135°C) employing a poly-phosphinocarboxylate (PPCA) as the scales inhibitor. Field treatment simulations, carried out starting from coreflood data and considering the characteristics of a North Sea formation taken as the reference, confirmed the higher performance, in term of squeeze lifetime, of the precipitation squeeze with respect to adsorption. The results pointed out the importance of choosing the appropriate formulation once the operative conditions are known, in order to promote the inhibitor precipitation into the formation. Some implications of these results for the optimization of the precipitation squeeze technology for field applications, with particular emphasis to formation damage, are also discussed.     

Substance abuse issues in cancer patients. Part 1: Prevalence and diagnosis

Although rare, drug abuse problems present a complex set of physical and psychosocial issues that complicate cancer treatment and pain/ symptom management. Most oncologists are not be well versed in either the conceptual or practical issues related to addiction. As a result, they often struggle in their attempts to effectively treat patients who are or have been substance abusers, and they find it difficult to understand issues of addiction in patients with pain who have no history of substance abuse. In the first installment of a two-part series, the authors explore the epidemiology of substance abuse. An examination of the distinctions between abuse and dependence leads to definitions of these terms appropriate for the oncology setting. Guidelines for assessing aberrant drug-taking behavior are also offered. Part 2, which will appear in the next issue of ONCOLOGY, will discuss the clinical management of cancer patients with a history of substance abuse.     

Effects of diversion and reperfusion of pancreaticobiliary juice on amylase release from isolated rat pancreas

Excitability of functionally different alpha-motoneurons was studied in 62 patients with gunshot injuries of nervous trunks of lower extremities both before and during process of rehabilitation by means of physical factors. The correlation of reactions of spinal cord motoneurons and the degree of injuries of nervous trunks was observed. Neuroapraxia of nervous trunks was accompanied by multidirectional alterations in reflex activity of large and small alpha-motoneurons. It was depressed in axonothermesis and lost in simultaneous full anatomic interruption of ischiatic nerve and trunks of both fibular and tibial nerves. Under influence of physical factors the function of motoneurons was normalized in neuroapraxia and was improved in axonothermesis of nervous trunks.