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[The value of C-reactive protein and leucocyte count in preventing negative appendectomies].

This study was designed to determine the values of C-Reactive Protein measurements (an acute phase reactant, CRP) and leucocyte counts in prevention of negative appendectomies. Despite improvements in diagnostic methods, negative appendectomy rates still remain between 10-30% in acute appendicitis. Cost-effective and easily applicable diagnostic methods with prompt results are required to reduce negative appendectomy rates. In this prospective study, one hundred twenty-six patients were operated on for initial diagnosis of acute appendicitis between July 1999 and July 2000. CRP and leucocyte count were measured in all cases. The data of the outcomes of clinic and pathological findings were analyzed statistically. Among the 126 study patients, 71 (56.3%) were male and 55 (43.7%) were female. 79 (62.6%) cases had noncomplicated appendicitis, 27 (21.4%) cases had complicated appendicitis and 20 (15.8%) cases had negative appendectomy. The mean CRP level was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with complicated acute appendicitis than in those with noncomplicated acute appendicitis and in those with negative appendectomy. The mean leucocyte count was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in patient with negative appendectomy than in those with noncomplicated appendicitis and in those with complicated appendicitis. Although CRP increases with inflammation, it increases markedly after the occurrence of complication. The increase in leucocyte count is early sign of appendix inflammation. CRP measurements or leucocyte counts are not effective alone to prevent negative appendectomies.

Adult↗

Steroid inhibition of limbal blood and lymphatic vascular cell growth.

Steroids are widely used in the prevention of corneal neovascularization in a wide range of natural and experimental situations. However, no information is available on their effect on the growth of the individual limbal blood vascular cells or of lymphatic cells involved in corneal neovascularization. In addition, tritiated thymidine labelling index is commonly used as an indicator of cell population but doubt exists as to whether it truly represents cell growth. Remote thermal cautery of the rat cornea was used to elicit corneal neovascularization. New cell growth was measured by tritiated thymidine uptake and by the number of cell nuclei per section. Cells investigated were the arteriolar, venular, capillary and lymphatic endothelial cells as well as the arteriolar and venular perivascular cells. A total of 89,320 blood vascular endothelial and perivascular cell nuclei and 12,075 lymphatic nuclei were counted. Thermal cautery elicited a significant increase in labelling index and cell population of all limbal vascular cell types. Steroid application elicited a significant short term inhibition or delay for all six cell types although this was not apparent for venular endothelial cells using labelling index as a growth indicator. At six days only the lymphatic endothelial cell population showed a significant (p < 0.001) increase associated with steroid use.

Animals↗

Thrombopoietin. A review.

The regulator of platelet count is believed to be thrombopoietin (mpl ligand). It is thought to act on the megakaryocytic lineage affecting the proliferation of committed cells, the maturation of megakaryocytes and the blood platelet levels by activation of its receptor (the c-mpl). Recently, it has been purified and sequenced. Thrombopoietin offers potential applications for treatment of thrombocytopenia.

Animals↗

Rapid monitoring of microbial contamination on herbal medicines by fluorescent staining method.

AIMS: To apply fluorescent staining method for fast assessment of microbial quality of herbal medicines. METHODS AND RESULTS: The number of total bacteria and esterase-active bacteria on powdered traditional Chinese medicines were enumerated by fluorescent staining method using 6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate (6CFDA) and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and they were compared with colony-forming units (CFU). The CFU was approximately 10(3) per gram in ginseng radix, and no bacterial colonies were detected from others. However, the total bacterial number (TDC) was more than 10(7) per gram, and number of bacteria possessing esterase activity ranged from 1 to 3% of TDC. CONCLUSIONS, SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Many bacteria in each Chinese medicine had enzyme activity and most of them could not be detected by conventional plate counting technique. Enumeration of bacterial cells on traditional Chinese medicines by fluorescent staining method requires less than 1 h. The double staining method with 6CFDA and DAPI could be applicable to rapid microbial monitoring of crude drugs.

Animals↗

Multiple quantum spin counting techniques with quadrupolar nuclei.

Phase incremented and continuous irradiation multiple spin correlation methods are applied to spin [Formula: see text] nuclei with small quadrupole couplings such as (7)Li in LiCl and are shown to successfully produce a coherently coupled dipolar spin network. Application to the analogous Na salt shows successful spin correlation evolving at a slower rate due to the weaker homonuclear dipolar coupling strength between Na nuclei. The results are analysed using a statistical approach. Spin counting is non-trivial as not only multiple quantum coherences between spins are generated but also within the quadrupolar spin levels. Na(2)C(2)O(4) is investigated as a material with non-negligible quadrupole coupling and it is in this limit that the spin correlation techniques are found to break down.

Journal Article↗

[Time-resolved fluorometry: principles and applications in clinical biology].

Time-resolved fluorometric assay is based on lanthanide fluorescence. This time-resolved fluorescence has a narrow-band emission line whose wavelength differs from that of emission-pulsed light and has a long decay-time. These characteristics make it possible to avoid background interference from sample constituents (protein, light-scattering particles, etc). Europium and its chelates are the most commonly used lanthanides. The europium-labelling of antigens or antibodies is followed by immunoassay. In the final step, fluorescence is measured, after enhancement, as counts per second. This assay has several advantages, including a wide working range, high sensitivity and good practicability. The method has widespread applications in the field of immunoassays in both clinical and research laboratories. The use of non-radioactive europium-labelled probes and the development of simultaneous multiple tests are possible future orientations.

Europium↗

Efficacy and safety of once-daily metronidazole 1% gel compared with twice-daily azelaic acid 15% gel in the treatment of rosacea.

Rosacea is an inflammatory dermatologic disorder characterized by the presence of facial erythema, visible blood vessels, papules, and pustules. The National Rosacea Society has established a classification system that identifies 4 distinct rosacea subtypes based on clinical presentation: erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous, and ocular. The goal of topical therapy for rosacea is to reduce inflammatory lesion counts; decrease intensity of erythema; and reduce symptoms such as stinging, burning, and pruritus. Metronidazole and azelaic acid are thought to reduce the inflammation associated with rosacea by inhibiting the production of reactive oxygen species produced by neutrophils. Both metronidazole 1% gel and azelaic acid 15% gel recently have been approved for the treatment of rosacea. The current study was conducted to compare the once-daily application of metronidazole 1% gel with twice-daily applications of azelaic acid 15% gel for the treatment of patients with moderate rosacea (N=160). Both treatments showed similar reductions in inflammatory lesion counts (77% for metronidazole 1% gel and 80% for azelaic acid 15% gel) and high success rates in both global severity (53.7% vs 56.4% for metronidazole 1% gel and azelaic acid 15% gel, respectively) and erythema (42.7% vs 42.3% for metronidazole 1% gel and azelaic acid 15% gel, respectively). On average, the efficacy (including reduction in erythema) of the once-daily application of metronidazole 1% gel and twice-daily applications of azelaic acid 15% gel were similar.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Oxidized cellulose causes focal neuropathy, possibly by a diffusible chemical mechanism.

We observed incidentally that rat sciatic nerve in contact with oxidized cellulose (OC), an absorbable hemostatic agent, underwent focal fiber degeneration, and we undertook studies to determine the mechanism of its production. Topically applied OC generated acute nerve damage within the adjacent nerve fascicle of rat sciatic nerve in a dose-dependent fashion (r = 0.99, P < 0.01, threshold amount: 9.9 mg). IN single teased fibers, the predominant type of myelinated fiber damage was axonal degeneration. The subperineurial blood flow of the rat sciatic nerve was serially measured by microelectrode hydrogen polarography, and the reduction at 90 min after application of OC was not greater than that of controls. A thin polyethylene membrane interposed between OC and the sciatic nerve almost completely prevented the nerve damage. These data suggest that the chief mechanism of nerve damage by OC was neither compression nor ischemia, but was a diffusible chemical mechanism. Care should be taken to avoid direct OC application around peripheral nerves.

Animals↗

A quantitative approach to cytoarchitectonics: software and hardware aspects of a system for the evaluation and analysis of structural inhomogeneities in nervous tissue.

Cytoarchitectonic studies are based on the analysis of structural inhomogeneities in nervous tissue. Boundaries of brain regions are established where local structural properties such as numerical cell density, size, shape or orientation change. The measurement of these properties from histological sections with automatic devices is biased due to the thickness of the sections. In this study, the grey level index (GLI) is measured with a TV-based image analyzer from routine histological sections. This parameter is a biased estimate of the volume density of Nissl-positive structures. The histological section is digitized into GLI values by a computer-controlled scanning procedure. The result is stored in an image matrix which is processed by digital filtering in order to visualize the laminar pattern. GLI statistics of brain regions are evaluated from the pictorial data by delineating these regions with a cursor on a hard copy fixed to digitizer. Information from a series of sections is stored in a standardized data file and combined by specific application programs.

Animals↗

Investigation of mastitis problems on farms.

The production of high-quality milk is a high-priority issue for dairy farmers and milk processors. The investigation of mastitis problems on dairy farms is an area of increasing demand and is an ideal way for veterinary practitioners to increase involvement in production medicine programs. Goals for the amount of clinical and subclinical mastitis should be predefined on dairy farms, and a herd investigation initiated when needed. The use of a structured approach to mastitis problems can identify risk factors for infection, result in rapid resolution of mastitis problems, and hasten the application of appropriate preventive practices.

Animals↗

Attached and unattached microbial communities in a simulated basalt aquifer under fracture- and porous-flow conditions.

Bench scale column studies were used to examine the partitioning of microorganisms between groundwater and a geologic medium and to examine the effect of hydrogeology (i.e., porous- versus fracture-flow) on organism partitioning. Replicated columns were constructed with intact basalt core segments that contained natural fractures and with the same basalt crushed into particles. The columns were perfused with groundwater, and upon reaching a steady state, the columns were sacrificed and the attached and unattached communities were analyzed by multiple approaches. The analyses included the total number of cells, the phylogenetic affiliation of the cells (i.e., the alpha, beta, and gamma subclasses of the class Proteobacteria and gram positives with high G+C DNA content) by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), number and taxonomic affiliation by fatty acid methyl ester profiles of culturable heterotrophs, most-probable-number estimates of methanotrophs and phenol oxidizers, and whole-community sole carbon source utilization patterns from Biolog GN microplates. In the packed columns, about 99% of the total biomass (per cubic centimeter of porous medium) was attached to the geologic medium. Lack of equitable units precluded a comparison of attached and unattached biomasses in the fractured columns where the attached biomass was expressed per unit of surface area. Compositional differences in the attached and unattached communities were evidenced by (i) the recovery of Pseudomonas stutzeri, an Enterococcus sp., and Bacillus psychrophilus from the groundwater and not from the basalt, (ii) differences between community carbon source utilization patterns, and (iii) the relative abundances of different phylogenetic groups estimated by FISH in both column types. In the packed columns, attached communities were depleted of members of the alpha- and beta-Proteobacteria subclasses in comparison to those in the corresponding groundwater. In the fractured columns, attached communities were enriched in gram-positive Bacteria and gamma-Proteobacteria and depleted of beta-Proteobacteria, in comparison to those in the corresponding groundwater. Segregation of populations and their activities, possibly modified by attachment to geologic media, may influence contaminant fate and transport in the subsurface and impact other in situ applications.

Colony Count, Microbial↗

Injuries to the iris and corneal endothelium in intraocular surgeries.

The changes in the corneal endothelium at the centre of the cornea were followed after intracapsular cataract extraction and penetrating keratoplasty, by means of specular microscopy and morphometry using a computerized image analyzer. The corneal endothelium undergoes progressive transformation in its size over a period of more than 1 year. In penetrating keratoplasty, progressive increase in the cell size appears to occur over a longer postoperative period. The injury to the iris leaves permanent tissue defects and this is due to insufficient fibroblastic activity of the iris. Iris injury probably initiates synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) in the human eyes. Topical indomethacin prevents atropine-resistant miosis during aspiration of soft cataract and also reduces intraocular inflammation after intracapsular extraction of senile cataract. It is hypothesized that these responses are related to PG release induced by iris injuries. Topical indomethacin also reduces incidence and severity of the cystoid macular oedema after intracapsular cataract extraction, but systemic administration appears to have little effect. Indomethacin is accumulated in the ciliary processes of rabbits by temperature- and ouabain-sensitive processes and the accumulation is inhibited by probenecid and PGE. It is possible that indomethacin is subject to elimination from the eye by a similar process as are PGs, and this may account for poor intraocular penetration from the systemic route. This justifies topical application of this drug.

Aged↗

Managerial innovation in the hospital: an analysis of the diffusion of hospital cost-accounting systems.

Currently much interest is focused on the uses of cost-accounting systems within the hospital industry. Proponents frequently contend that such systems will help hospitals successfully adapt to new methods of financial reimbursement because they are essential to a number of major management functions, including competitive bidding, cost management, pricing, and profitability assessment. This article reports the results of a study conducted to examine the extent to which hospitals in a major market are actually beginning to use standard cost-accounting systems and identify factors that either aid or hinder the diffusion of these methods. Chief financial officers from 94 hospitals (83 percent response rate) participated in the study during the summer of 1986 where less than half of the hospitals (43 percent) had recently purchased a cost-accounting system. Detailed information about the interface of cost-accounting systems with other application systems and their specific management uses is reported.

Accounting↗

Control of Listeria spp. by competitive-exclusion bacteria in floor drains of a poultry processing plant.

In previous studies workers determined that two lactic acid bacterium isolates, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis C-1-92 and Enterococcus durans 152 (competitive-exclusion bacteria [CE]), which were originally obtained from biofilms in floor drains, are bactericidal to Listeria monocytogenes or inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes both in vitro and in biofilms at 4 to 37 degrees C. We evaluated the efficacy of these isolates for reducing Listeria spp. contamination of floor drains of a plant in which fresh poultry is processed. Baseline assays revealed that the mean numbers of Listeria sp. cells in floor drains sampled on six different dates (at approximately biweekly intervals) were 7.5 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 8, 4.9 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 3, 4.4 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 2, 4.1 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 4, 3.7 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 1, and 3.6 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 6. The drains were then treated with 10(7) CE/ml in an enzyme-foam-based cleaning agent four times in 1 week and twice a week for the following 3 weeks. In samples collected 1 week after CE treatments were applied Listeria sp. cells were not detectable (samples were negative as determined by selective enrichment culture) for drains 4 and 6 (reductions of 4.1 and 3.6 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2), respectively), and the mean numbers of Listeria sp. cells were 3.7 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 8 (a reduction of 3.8 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2)), <1.7 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 1 (detectable only by selective enrichment culture; a reduction of 3.3 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2)), and 2.6 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2) for drain 3 (a reduction of 2.3 log(10) CFU/100 cm(2)). However, the aerobic plate counts for samples collected from floor drains before, during, and after CE treatment remained approximately the same. The results indicate that application of the two CE can greatly reduce the number of Listeria sp. cells in floor drains at 3 to 26 degrees C in a facility in which fresh poultry is processed.

Animals↗

[Arterial embolism and thrombocytopenia during heparin therapy].

This is a case report of heparin-associated thrombocytopenia syndrome (white clot syndrome). An 81-Year-old patient was treated with sodium-heparin for proximal deep-venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. During administration of heparin, the platelet count decreased to a nadir of 27/nl on day 14 after initiation of this therapy. We also observed a recurrence of pulmonary embolism as well as arterial thromboembolism in the right arm and the right leg. After immediate discontinuation of heparin therapy and change of anticoagulation to oral anticoagulants with overlapping administration of a low molecular weight heparin and application of immunoglobulins, we observed total recanalization of the arterial occlusions, normalization of lung-perfusion scan and rapid recovery of the platelet count.

Aged↗

A simple clinical and paraclinical score predictive of CD4 cells counts below 400/mm3 in HIV-infected adults in Dakar University Hospital, Senegal.

In industrialized countries the decision to start co-trimoxazole (CMX) prophylaxis of HIV-related opportunistic infections is based on the CD4+ cell count. The value of CMX prophylaxis has also been demonstrated in Africa, where CD4+ cell counts are rarely available. We therefore developed a simple score predictive of a threshold CD4+ cell count (400/mm3) below which CMX prophylaxis is indicated. In a retrospective cross-sectional study, we collected clinical and biological data on 211 HIV-infected patients recruited from January 1996 through January 1998 at Fann University Hospital in Dakar, Senegal. Several variables were identified as being predictive of a CD4+ cell count below 400/mm3 by stepwise logistic regression. Each variable was weighted according to its regression coefficient, as follows: male sex (+1), weight loss (+2), body mass index < 22 (+2), herpes zoster (+4), tuberculin induration < 5 mm (+3) and haemoglobin < or = 10 g/dL (+1). A score of > or = 4 (sum of weights) selected patients with CD4+ cell counts below 400/mm3 with a sensitivity of 98% and a negative predictive value of 83%. Such a score should be applicable in the African context and should facilitate the management of HIV-infected patients, especially the prescription of CMX prophylaxis.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Novel method for detection of ex vivo tumor necrosis factor alpha production by monocytes.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) has come into recent focus as a proinflammatory cytokine derived from monocytes/macrophages. We developed a novel system (the SEK-5001 system) for measurement of ex vivo production of TNF-alpha stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a marker of immune function. In the present study, we evaluated the performance of this system as a diagnostic tool. Furthermore, we compared TNF-alpha levels with data from other immune function tests, including lymphocyte blast formation test and differential leukocyte counts. Incubation of whole blood with a stimulation of low-dose LPS (100 EU/mL blood) for 4 hr at 37 degrees C gave acceptable results. After incubation, plasma TNF-alpha levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The specificity, reproducibility, and recovery of the SEK-5001 system were excellent. No correlation between TNF-alpha levels and total leukocyte counts was found. Lymphocyte blast formation test and monocyte counts, however, were correlated with TNF-alpha levels in blood from patients with hematological malignancy and aplastic anemia before treatment. This assay system may potentially be clinically applicable to assess in vivo immune function.

Adult↗