The impact of sirolimus on hepatocyte proliferation after living donor liver transplantation.

Background: There is a lack of data on the use of sirolimus after partial liver transplantation, especially regarding its impact on post-transplant regeneration.

Methods: We reviewed adult living donor transplantations, with de novo sirolimus (n = 7) and without sirolimus (n = 21). Liver biopsies were stained for KI-67, a proliferation marker.

Potential role of estrogen in the pathobiology and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

Over a decade of converging findings from clinical, observational and basic science research indicate that estrogen administration during the menopausal transition exerts beneficial effects on cognition and decreases a woman's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) later in life. This review article stresses the research focus of AD prevention, and introduces hormone therapy (HT) as a probable catalyst that may achieve this goal. Furthermore, this article outlines 3 mechanisms proposed to mediate estrogen's beneficial effects, discusses the controversy surrounding HT administration, and presents the most promising estrogen related research in AD prevention and treatment.

Successful resolution of severe hepatopulmonary syndrome following liver transplantation.

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a complication of portal hypertension, defined by the presence of liver disease, abnormal pulmonary gas exchange and evidence of intrapulmonary vascular dilatations producing a right-to-left intrapulmonary shunt. Liver transplantation (LT) is the treatment of choice; however, severe hypoxemia (PaO(2) < 50 mmHg on room air) is considered a contraindication to LT. This approach disadvantages some patients, particularly young patients with no intrinsic cardio-respiratory disease.

Cognitive benefits of hormone therapy: cardiovascular factors and healthy-user bias.

Objective: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study and its ancillary Memory Study (WHIMS) revealed increased rates of cardiovascular risk, cognitive decline and dementia with opposed conjugated equine estrogens (CEE). As a result, previously accepted observational data suggesting cardiovascular and cognitive benefits and reduced risk for dementia with hormone therapy (HT) were largely attributed to 'healthy-user' bias. The present observational, community-based, case-controlled study examined the 'healthy-user' bias theory by comparing cognitive task performance in two groups of postmenopausal women, who were either HT users or non-users.

Structural, thermal and photomagnetic properties of spin crossover [Fe(bpp)2]2+ salts bearing [Cr(L)(ox)2]- anions.

This paper is divided into two parts: in the first part, the influence of solvate molecules on the magnetic properties of spin crossover salts of [Fe(bpp)(2)][Cr(L)(ox)(2)]ClO(4) x nS (bpp = 2,6-bis(pyrazol-3yl)pyridine; L = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) or 1,10-phenanthroline (phen); ox = oxalate dianion; S = solvent) is analyzed. The second part is devoted to the photomagnetic properties of the previously reported [Fe(bpp)(2)][Cr(L)(ox)(2)](2) family of compounds. The study describes the crystal structure, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and magnetic properties of [Fe(bpp)(2)][Cr(bpy)(ox)(2)]ClO(4) x EtOH x 4 H(2)O (1) and [Fe(bpp)(2)][Cr(phen)(ox)(2)]ClO(4) x 1.

Operating on a patient with hepatitis C.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects more than 250 000 Canadians, many of whom are at increased risk of perioperative complications with surgery and all of whom represent an important risk for the entire surgical care team. The virus likely remains undiagnosed in one-third, while others have a limited understanding of the implications of the disease. All face an increased risk of liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Thermal and light-induced spin-transitions in iron(II) complexes of 2,6-bis(4-halopyrazolyl)pyridines: the influence of polymorphism on a spin-crossover compound.

The syntheses of 2,6-bis(4-chloropyrazol-1-yl)pyridine (L1), 2,6-bis(4-bromopyrazol-1-yl)pyridine (L2) and 2,6-bis(4-iodopyrazol-1-yl)pyridine (L3) by electrophilic halogenation of 2,6-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine are reported. The complex [Fe(L1)2][BF4]2 crystallises in two different solvent-free polymorphs. The tetragonal (alpha) form crystallises in a known version of the "terpyridine embrace" structure, and undergoes an abrupt spin-transition at 202 K.

Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of 1,2-bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazine: a key precursor for the synthesis of high performance energetic materials.

1,2-Bis(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazine (3) is one of the precursors in the synthesis of an important energetic material viz., hexanitrazobenzene. The simple and convenient lab scale synthesis of title compound (3) was carried out by the condensation of picryl chloride (2) with hydrazine hydrate at 30-50 degrees C in methanol based on the lines of scanty literature reports.

Effects of insulin and octreotide on memory and growth hormone in Alzheimer's disease.

Both insulin alone and the somatostatin analogue octreotide alone facilitate memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since octreotide inhibits endogenous insulin secretion, the cognitive effects of insulin and octreotide may not be independent. This study tested the individual and interactive effects of insulin and octreotide on memory and plasma growth hormone (GH) levels in older adults.

Donor risk index and MELD interactions in predicting long-term graft survival: a single-centre experience.

Introduction: Feng et al. described the donor risk index (DRI) in North American liver transplant recipients. We evaluated the effect of the DRI and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score on liver transplant recipients from a single center in the United Kingdom.

Food consumption pattern in cervical carcinoma patients and controls.

Background: The uterine cervix is the second most common site of cancer among Indian women.Though the human papillomavirus has been demonstrated to be a causative agent for this cancer, a variety of other risk factors are in play, such as sexual and reproductive patterns, socioeconomic, hygienic practices, and diet. The accumulated evidence suggests that cervical cancer is preventable and is highly suitable for primary prevention.

Frontiers proposal. National Institute on Aging "bench to bedside: estrogen as a case study".

On 28-29 September 2004, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) convened scientists for a workshop on the aging female brain focused on translating into clinical practice discoveries concerning estrogens and progestogens. Workshop objectives were to examine effects of estrogen and progestogen on brain and cognitive function in relation to aging, to examine consistencies and apparent discrepancies between Women's Health Initiative Memory Study findings and other research on cognitive function, to determine whether additional hormone interventions could be developed in this area, and to offer advice on design of clinical trials for other interventions that might ameliorate cognitive aging. Following the workshop, participants joined by other interested scientists organized into regional work groups to continue the dialogue begun in Bethesda and to propose recommendations for NIA.

Reassessing selection criteria prior to liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma utilizing the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database.

Unlabelled: The current model of liver graft allocation in place in the United States favors transplantation of patients with small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) within the Milan criteria (a single tumor up to 5 cm in diameter or up to three lesions, none larger than 3 cm). Although several reports have suggested that these criteria could be extended, there is currently no agreement on new selection tools. In this study, we performed an overview of 6478 adult recipients of an isolated first liver transplant registered in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database.

A preliminary study of the safety, feasibility and cognitive efficacy of soy isoflavone supplements in older men and women.

Background: a small number of reports exist on the cognitive effects of soy isoflavones, the findings from which are mixed. Isoflavone efficacy is dependent upon conversion of glycosides contained in soy foods and supplements to the biologically active aglycons. Of particular interest is the production of the metabolite, equol, which is dependent upon intestinal microflora and an integrous digestive system, both being altered by age and age-associated conditions.

Structural MRI discriminates individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment from age-matched controls: a combined neuropsychological and voxel based morphometry study.

Background: Several previous studies have reported that amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), is associated with greater atrophy in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG).

Method: In the present study, we examined the cross-sectional accuracy (i.e.

The influence of parental history of Alzheimer's disease and apolipoprotein E epsilon4 on the BOLD signal during recognition memory.

First-degree family history (FH) of sporadic Alzheimer's disease and the apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele (APOE4) are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease that may affect brain function prior to onset of clinical symptoms. In this functional MRI (fMRI) study, we used an episodic recognition task that required discrimination of previously viewed (PV) and novel (NV) faces to examine differences in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal due to risk factors in 74 middle-aged cognitively normal individuals. The group effects on this recognition task were tested with a 2 x 2 ANCOVA factorial design (+FH/-FH and +APOE4/-APOE4).

Deprivation, demography, and the distribution of general practice: challenging the conventional wisdom of inverse care.

It is generally believed that the most deprived populations have the worst access to primary care. Lord Darzi's review of the NHS responds to this conventional wisdom and makes a number of proposals for improving the supply of GP services in deprived communities. This paper argues that these proposals are based on an incomplete understanding of inverse care which underestimates the degree to which, relative to their healthcare needs, older populations experience low availability of primary care.

Effect of parental family history of Alzheimer's disease on serial position profiles.

Background: An exaggerated recency effect (ie, disproportionate recall of last-presented items) has been consistently observed in the word list learning of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our study sought to determine whether there were similar alterations in serial position learning among asymptomatic persons at risk for AD as a result of parental family history.

Methods: Subjects included 623 asymptomatic middle-aged children of patients with AD (median, 53 years) and 157 control participants whose parents survived to at least age 70 without AD or other memory disorders.

Atorvastatin therapy is associated with greater and faster cerebral hemodynamic response.

Hypercholesterolemia in midlife increases the risk of subsequent cognitive decline, neurovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and statin use is associated with reduced prevalence of these outcomes. While statins improve vasoreactivity in peripheral arteries and large cerebral arteries, little is known about the effects of statins on cerebral hemodynamic responses and cognition in healthy asymptomatic adults. At the final visit of a 4-month randomized, controlled, double-blind study comparing atorvastatin 40 mg daily to placebo, 16 asymptomatic middle-aged adults (15 had useable data) underwent blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), arterial spin labeling (ASL) quantitative cerebral blood flow (qCBF), dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) and structural imagings of the brain.

Waste explosives and other hazardous materials--hazard potential and remedial measures: an overview.

A large amount of energetic materials including propellants, high explosives, pyrotechnics are subjected to disposal either due to expiry of their useful life or rejection in the manufacturing process. The environmental regulations do not allow the hazardous materials for open burning / detonation in view of the health hazard involved in these operations. The present paper describes the hazard potential of energetic materials and associated hazardous chemicals.

A luteinizing hormone receptor intronic variant is significantly associated with decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease in males carrying an apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele.

Genetic and biochemical studies support the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele as a major risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), though ~50% of AD patients do not carry the allele. APOE transports cholesterol for luteinizing hormone (LH)-regulated steroidogenesis, and both LH and neurosteroids have been implicated in the etiology of AD. Since polymorphisms of LH beta-subunit (LHB) and its receptor (LHCGR) have not been tested for their association with AD, we scored AD and age-matched control samples for APOE genotype and 14 polymorphisms of LHB and LHCGR.

Magnetic resonance imaging characterization of brain structure and function in mild cognitive impairment: a review.

Given the predicted increase in prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the coming decades, early detection and intervention in persons with the predementia condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is of paramount importance. Recent years have seen remarkable advances in the application of neuroimaging and other biomarkers to the study of MCI. This article reviews the most recent developments in the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to characterize brain changes and to prognosticate clinical outcomes of patients with MCI.

Effects of simvastatin on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and cognition in middle-aged adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Statins reduce amyloid-beta (Abeta) levels in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in animals and may thereby favorably alter the pathobiology of AD. It is unclear if statins modify Abeta metabolism or improve cognition in asymptomatic middle-aged adults at increased risk for AD.

Methods: In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, controlled study, we evaluated the effects of simvastatin 40 mg daily vs.