Fatal donor-derived Kaposi sarcoma following liver transplantation.

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV8) is a recognised precursor for a number of neoplastic and non-neoplastic processes. Immunosuppressed recipients of both solid organ and haematopoietic stem cell transplants are at risk of life-threatening lytic reactivations of HHV8-infected B-lymphocytes, primary infections after receiving grafts from HHV8-seropositive donors and more rarely by the direct transplantation of malignant Kaposi sarcoma cells seeded within graft tissue. We describe the case of an HHV8-seronegative patient with confirmed, post-orthotopic liver transplant transmission of HHV8 from a seropositive donor with quantitative evidence of viraemia and subsequent development of disseminated visceral and cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma with a rapidly fatal outcome.

The hepatobiliary complications of malnutrition and nutritional support in adults.

Hepatobiliary complications of hypoalimentation and parenteral nutrition (PN) are widely recognised. Hypoalimentation includes conditions such as anorexia nervosa (AN), obesity malnutrition and liver disease following bariatric surgery. Treatment of the underlying condition causing hypoalimentation can result in an improvement in liver dysfunction.

Advances in edge diffraction algorithms.

Starshade external occulters are a leading technology that provide the starlight suppression needed to directly image and spectroscopically characterize Earth-sized exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby stars. A high-priority technology area identified in need of development for a future starshade mission is the development and validation of high-fidelity optical models to predict the performance of a full-scale starshade. We present the generalization of an algorithm to formulate the Fresnel diffraction equation as a one-dimensional integral around the edge of an arbitrary binary diffraction screen.

The impact of rifaximin-α on the hospital resource use associated with the management of patients with hepatic encephalopathy: a retrospective observational study (IMPRESS).

Objective: To compare all-cause and liver-related hospital resource use in the 6 and 12 months pre-rifaximin-α and post-rifaximin-α initiation in UK patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

Design: A UK multicentre, retrospective, observational study. Patients' medical records were reviewed for demographics, clinical outcomes and adverse events (AEs) to rifaximin-α.

Favorable Local Control From Consolidative Radiation Therapy in High-Risk Neuroblastoma Despite Gross Residual Disease, Positive Margins, or Nodal Involvement.

Purpose: To report the influence of radiation therapy (RT) dose and surgical pathology variables on disease control and overall survival (OS) in patients treated for high-risk neuroblastoma at a single institution.

Methods And Materials: We conducted a retrospective study of 67 high-risk neuroblastoma patients who received RT as part of definitive management from January 2003 until May 2014.

Results: At a median follow-up of 4.

Endothelial function, antioxidant status and vascular compliance in newly diagnosed HFE C282Y homozygotes.

Purpose: This pilot study was aimed to establish techniques for assessing and observing trends in endothelial function, antioxidant status and vascular compliance in newly diagnosed HFE haemochromatosis during the first year of venesection.

Patients/methods: Untreated newly diagnosed HFE haemochromatosis patients were tested for baseline liver function, iron indices, lipid profile, markers of endothelial function, anti-oxidant status and vascular compliance. Following baseline assessment, subjects attended at 6-weeks and at 3, 6, 9 and 12-months for follow-up studies.

Comparison of allergic reactions to intravenous and intramuscular pegaspargase in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Pegaspargase (PEG) is a standard component of therapy for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Because PEG preparations are bacterially derived, they are highly immunogenic. PEG has traditionally been delivered intramuscularly (IM), but over the last several years, more PEG has been given intravenously (IV) in order to provide a less painful and more convenient means of delivery.

Disordered vascular compliance in haemochromatosis.

Background: A relationship may exist between body iron stores, endothelial dysfunction and overall cardiovascular risk.

Aims: To compare vascular compliance, biochemical endothelial function and antioxidant status between patients with homozygous hereditary haemochromatosis and healthy controls.

Methods: Haemochromatosis patients and healthy controls were recruited.

Randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of simvastatin in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Background: This study evaluated the effect of statins in Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) on endothelial function, anti-oxidant status and vascular compliance.

Methods: Primary biliary cirrhosis patients with hypercholesterolaemia were randomized to receive 20 mg simvastatin or placebo in a single blind, randomized controlled trial. Body mass index, blood pressure, glucose, liver function, lipid profile, immunoglobulin levels, serological markers of endothelial function and anti-oxidant status were measured as well as vascular compliance, calculated from pulse wave analysis and velocity, at recruitment and again at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

Use of portal pressure studies in the management of variceal haemorrhage.

Portal hypertension occurs as a complication of liver cirrhosis and complications such as variceal bleeding lead to significant demands on resources. Endoscopy is the gold standard method for screening cirrhotic patients however universal endoscopic screening may mean a lot of unnecessary procedures as the presence of oesophageal varices is variable hence a large time and cost burden on endoscopy units to carry out both screening and subsequent follow up of variceal bleeds. A less invasive method to identify those at high risk of bleeding would allow earlier prophylactic measures to be applied.

Limits on achievable intensity reduction with an optical occulter: comment.

An external occulter is used as a means to suppress starlight and enable the observation of faint, Earth-like planets. A recent paper in this journal [J. Opt.

Paracetamol overdose: the liver unit perspective.

Liver failure resulting from deliberate or accidental paracetamol overdose continues to be an important reason for referral to liver transplant centres. Severe hepatic dysfunction often appears 72-96 h after overdose. Liver injury can be prevented by timely administration of the specific antidote, N-acetylcysteine.

Primary biliary cirrhosis is associated with oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction but not increased cardiovascular risk.

Aim:   Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic disease which is associated with hypercholesterolaemia. Further, cholestatic diseases are associated with deficiencies of anti-oxidant vitamins. Despite these associations PBC is not associated with an increase in cardiovascular mortality.

Successful pregnancy after liver transplantation in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, type 1.

A woman who had undergone liver transplantation for genetically documented ATP8B1 disease/progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, type 1, successfully conceived, carried, and was delivered of a healthy child. The pregnancy and its management are described; implications are discussed.

Concurrent avian malaria and avipox virus infection in translocated South Island saddlebacks (Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus).

Case History: Outbreaks of mortality in South Island saddlebacks (Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus) that had been translocated to two offshore islands in the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand were investigated during the summers of 2002 and 2007. Both outbreaks were associated with a severe decrease in numbers of saddlebacks of up to 60% of approximately 200 birds.

Clinical And Pathological Findings: Many of the surviving birds were in poor condition, and had skin lesions on the legs and head.

Current concepts in the assessment and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is defined as a metabolically induced, potentially reversible, functional disturbance of the brain that may occur in acute or chronic liver disease. Standardized nomenclature has been proposed but a standardized approach to the treatment, particularly of persistent, episodic and recurrent encephalopathy associated with liver cirrhosis has not been proposed. This review focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of HE in patients with cirrhosis.

Adjuvant therapy used in conjunction with combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C improves sustained virus response rates in genotype 1 patients.

Combination treatment with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin remains the gold standard in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. This therapy is limited by many side-effects including anaemia, neutropenia and reduced quality of life. The use of adjuvant agents to reduce the frequency of dose reductions because of haematological side-effects has been proven to be effective but there are few reports of what effect the use of these adjuvant therapies is having on sustained virological response (SVR).

The role of corticosterone in supporting migratory lipogenesis in the dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis: a model for central and peripheral regulation.

The functional role of corticosterone (CORT) in regulating migratory hyperphagia and lipogenesis was investigated in an annual migrant, the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis). Intraperitoneal injections of either dexamethasone (9 microg DXM/500 microL of 5% EtOH in saline, n=10) to inhibit an increase in baseline CORT or saline (5% EtOH, n=9) were given every 48 h for 15 d after transfer from short (10.5L:13.

Detection of Earth-like planets around nearby stars using a petal-shaped occulter.

Direct observation of Earth-like planets is extremely challenging, because their parent stars are about 10(10) times brighter but lie just a fraction of an arcsecond away. In space, the twinkle of the atmosphere that would smear out the light is gone, but the problems of light scatter and diffraction in telescopes remain. The two proposed solutions--a coronagraph internal to a telescope and nulling interferometry from formation-flying telescopes--both require exceedingly clean wavefront control in the optics.

Sensory and motor neuropathy in a Border Collie.

A 5-month-old female Border Collie was evaluated because of progressive hind limb ataxia. The predominant clinical findings suggested a sensory neuropathy. Sensory nerve conduction velocity was absent in the tibial, common peroneal, and radial nerves and was decreased in the ulnar nerve; motor nerve conduction velocity was decreased in the tibial, common peroneal, and ulnar nerves.

Comparison of radiographic and computed tomography lymphangiography for identification of the canine thoracic duct.

Standard radiographic lymphangiograms and computed tomography (CT) lymphangiograms were performed on 10 female dogs without intrathoracic disease. Positive contrast lymphagiography was performed by injection into a catheterized mesenteric lymphatic vessel, and lateral thoracic radiographs, ventrodorsal thoracic radiographs, and thoracic CTs were obtained. The number of visible ducts was recorded for each image at the midbody of the ninth thoracic vertebra (T9) through the first lumbar vertebra (L1).

A novel method for preparing histology slides without a microtome.

A study was undertaken to determine if it might be possible to prepare tissue sections on slides without the use of paraffin embedding, microtome sectioning, or cryostat sectioning which involve equipment and training not always available to scholars or professionals wishing to examine tissue microscopically. After evaluating many different reagents, cutting instruments and solid supports, we developed a method involving application of super glue to a slide, adhering a section of tissue to it, cutting the tissue with a disposable microtome blade, staining the tissue and removing the superglue with a commercially available product. The sections are similar to those sectioned on a microtome, but do not at this time equal their quality.

Severe complication after administration of formalin for treatment of progressive ethmoidal hematoma in a horse.

Formalin was injected into an ethmoidal hematoma in an 18-year-old Arabian gelding. Abnormal neurologic signs were observed within minutes of the injection. The horse did not respond favorably to medical treatment of the neurologic signs and was euthanatized.