[Tuberculous Spondylitis - Diagnosis and Management].

Tuberculous Spondylitis - Diagnosis and Management Despite a decreasing incidence of tuberculosis (TB) over the last decades in Switzerland, the frequency of newly diagnosed tuberculous spondylitis has remained stable. It occurs most frequently in old, immunocompromised persons and/or persons who have moved to Switzerland from TB endemic areas. It is a chronic manifestation of TB, which is characterized by 'cold abscesses', neurological deficits and kyphotic spinal deformity.

Two women with recurrent falls: La maladie des genoux bleus alias cryptogenic drop attacks.

Two women, aged 79 and 56, reported recurrent falls for several years without any prodromes or residues, without any known features of either syncope or seizure, without any detectable causative condition and seemingly without revealing any pathognomonic signs in the clinical examination. In both cases, the falls occurred only while walking and without loss of consciousness. These falls resulted always in dropping forward with pouncing on the knees.

Appearances are deceptive..

A 31-year-old man was referred with sudden onset of a painful periorbital angio-oedema. Assuming a first episode of allergic or acquired angio-oedema, the patient was treated with a plasma-derived C1 esterase inhibitor, tranexamic acid and fresh-frozen plasma, after the initial treatment with corticosteroids and histamine blockers was unsuccessful. As blood cultures grew group A streptococci, the diagnosis of periorbital necrotising fasciitis was made, and treatment was subsequently changed to clindamycin and ceftriaxone.

Family outbreak of an infection with a recombinant Coxsackie A virus in eastern Switzerland.

Purpose: We report on an unusual familial outbreak of a coxsackie virus infection in Switzerland in which five family members were affected. Most of the patients presented with signs of meningitis, and four were hospitalized.

Methods: In three individuals, the virus was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid, pharynx, and stool, respectively.

Intratumoral plasmacytoid dendritic cells associate with increased survival in patients with follicular lymphoma.

Gene array studies on follicular lymphoma (FL) have associated non-malignant tumor-infiltrating immune cells with patient survival. We examined the role of such cells detectable by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray, focusing on plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). These cells physiologically produce interferon-α, which has been used in the therapy of FL.

[Empowerment and health literacy in medical rehabilitation - recommendations for strengthening patient education].

Unlabelled: The recommendations aim to increase patient participation and health literacy by strengthening the role of patient education in medical rehabilitation. Research shows patient education to be effective and efficient; making the implementation of high quality patient education a top priority. To strengthen the role of patient education it is important to address known obstacles, identify potential for improvement, and define future demands for rehabilitative care.

Prediction of clinical outcomes in primary biliary cirrhosis by serum enhanced liver fibrosis assay.

Unlabelled: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is sometimes diagnosed based on a positive antimitochondrial antibody in the appropriate clinical setting without a liver biopsy. Although a liver biopsy can assess the extent of liver fibrosis and provide prognostic information, serum fibrosis markers avoid biopsy complications and sampling error and provide results as a continuous variable, which may be more precise than categorical histological stages. The current study was undertaken to evaluate serum fibrosis markers as predictors of clinical progression in a large cohort of PBC patients.

Current prescribing practices and opinions about growth hormone therapy: results of a nationwide survey of paediatric endocrinologists.

Background: With the advent of several new treatment indications for recombinant hGH, endocrinologists are being asked to make some difficult decisions regarding eligibility for treatment. The purpose of this study was to summarize prevailing attitudes about GH diagnosis and treatment among paediatric endocrinologists.

Methods: We sent surveys to all active US members of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society (LWPES) listed in the 2004-05 directory (excluding our own group of physicians).

Respiratory electromyographic estimates of ventilatory functions in piglets.

The best electromyographic (EMG) predictors of respiratory drive (P100), tidal volume (VT) and ventilation (VE) were determined from diaphragmatic (DI) and posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) EMG measures in 8-48-day-old, anesthetized piglets. Progressive hypercapnia was employed to obtain a wide range of muscle activity. A custom-designed, microcomputer-based system was employed to measure the duration, peak amplitude, rate of rise (initial slope) as well as the summed total and initial (first 100 ms) EMG activity from the DI and the PCA.

Multichannel electromyographic observations in spasmodic dysphonia patients and normal control subjects.

Spasmodic dysphonia is primarily a disorder of vocalization. Increasing evidence, however, suggests that individuals with this disorder comprise a heterogeneous population characterized by abnormal motor control throughout the vocal tract. Multichannel simultaneous electromyography was performed on 11 spasmodic dysphonia patients and 10 normal awake subjects to investigate both the distribution of neuromotor abnormality within the vocal tract (eg, intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal muscles, tongue, and palate) and the contribution of activation of higher central nervous system centers to observed abnormality.

Systems architecture for quantification of dynamic myoelectric and kinematic activity of the human vocal tract.

This paper describes a systems architecture useful for scientific investigations that require the acquisition and analysis of multiple, time-synchronous signals in large volume. The architecture has recently been developed by this group to enhance our capability to research and quantify central nervous system function in the production of normal and pathologic speech. The architecture utilizes modern advances in desktop microcomputers and has been designed so that vocal motor control laboratories (or similar settings) with modest funding can more fully participate in comprehensive investigations of speech production.

Lumbar myoelectric spectral analysis for endurance assessment. A comparison of normals with deconditioned patients.

A myoelectric protocol to objectively discriminate between test subjects based on trunk muscular performance differences (endurance) was investigated in a group of 11 healthy volunteers and ten industrial patients undergoing functional restoration for chronic disabling spinal disorders. The subjects performed a standardized exercise protocol, holding their upper torso unsupported for successive fixed-time trials while electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from erector spinae. A Fast Fourier Transform allowed calculation of the initial mean power frequency (MPF) for each trial.

Studies on human heart citrate synthase.

Citrate synthase from human heart was purified by affinity chromatography with Sepharose-ATP. The molecular weight (100,000) and the presence of two presumably identical subunits do not differ from other mammalian citrate synthases. However, the kinetics constants and immunologic characteristics of the enzyme differed from other mammalian citrate synthases.