In Vivo Efficacy Study Showing Comparative Advantage of Bacterial Infection Prevention with Zip-type Skin Closure Device vs. Subcuticular Sutures.

There remains a lack of understanding of how wound closure methods perform comparatively when exposed to patient-induced movement during healing and how they may contribute to bacterial infiltration in the wound site. The present study attempts to objectively quantify this gap. The study evaluates bacterial penetration and subsequent symptoms of infection of traditional sutures and an emerging tape-based, zip-type wound closure technology under physiologically relevant loading.

Use of a flexible robotic transgastric natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) platform in a cadaver to test access, navigation, maneuverability, and stability.

Background: The advancement of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) depends on the availability of a suitable platform. A 2008 Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research (NOSCAR) Working Group identified access, navigation, maneuverability, and stability to withstand instrument forces as the essential requirements for a successful NOTES platform [1]. No single NOTES platform can adequately achieve all four of these key capabilities.

Diagnosing cystic fibrosis--asthma and failure to thrive as indications for a sweat test.

Children with asthma or failure to thrive (FTT) are frequently referred for the quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis sweat test (QPIT) for diagnosing cystic fibrosis (CF). The aim of our study was to compare the prevalences of asthma and FTT among patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CF. Two-hundred and fifty-five children, who were referred for QPIT between 1991-1996 in order to rule out CF were studied retrospectively.

Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 are markers of inflammation but not of the degree of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.

Background: The degree of liver fibrosis and inflammation is important in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in terms of therapy as well as prognosis. To obviate the need of liver biopsy, serum markers such as procollagen I, III and hyaluronic acid have been proposed but were found to be inaccurate. Controversy still exists regarding the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as valid markers of liver fibrosis.

Hyperhomocysteinemia in pediatric and young adult renal transplant recipients.

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) has been recently identified as an important and reversible cardiovascular risk factor in adult and pediatric renal transplant recipients. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 70 pediatric and young adult renal transplant recipients was performed to determine the prevalence, and important clinical and laboratory correlates of HHcy. Total homocysteine concentration, free and protein bound, was determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay using an IMX analyzer.

The use of art therapy to detect depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in pediatric and young adult renal transplant recipients.

Pediatric and young adult renal transplant recipients may experience feelings of depression and emotional trauma. A study was conducted to (1) determine the prevalence of depression and emotional trauma and (2) assess the utility of the Formal Elements of Art Therapy Scale (FEATS). Sixty-four renal transplant recipients, 6-21 yr of age, were evaluated using self-report measures (CDI and Davidson) and art-based assessments.

Divergent patterns of extracellular matrix protein expression in neonatal versus adult liver fibrosis.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) expression is subject to distinct changes during ontogeny, and the natural course of liver fibrosis in neonates is thought to differ from that in adults. We compared the expression and distribution of main ECM components between neonatal and adult liver fibrosis. Liver biopsies from infants with neonatal cholestasis and fibrosis were compared to adult biopsies exhibiting an equivalent stage of fibrosis.

Colonic hydrogen elimination and methane production in infants with and without infantile colic syndrome.

Our objective was to investigate the relationship between demographic factors, nutrition, stool gas production, and the existence of infantile colic (IC) syndrome. Hydrogen and methane production from stool specimens of infants with and without infantile colic was quantified at two separate time points, the age at presentation of colic (<12 weeks) and at >6 months of age. The relationship between demographic variables and IC was also studied.

Unexpectedly high prevalence of posttransplant anemia in pediatric and young adult renal transplant recipients.

Background: Although posttransplant anemia (PTA) is recognized as a common problem in adult renal transplant recipients, few pediatric studies have been published.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study of 162 pediatric renal transplant recipients treated at Stanford University, the authors sought to determine the prevalence, severity, and the predictive factors of PTA. Anemia was defined as a hematocrit (HCT) level greater than 2 SD below published means for age or as erythropoietin dependency to maintain a normal HCT.

Late post-transplant anemia in adult renal transplant recipients. An under-recognized problem?

Post-transplant anemia (PTA), a frequent complication during the first 3-6 months after transplant, is thought to be uncommon during the late post-transplant period. A study population of adults (> 18 years) transplanted during 1995 at Stanford University (n = 88) and University of North Carolina (n = 40) was selected. Data-collection points were 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years post transplant.