Atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of delusional parasitosis.

Delusional parasitosis is the false belief that one's body is infested with one or many different living organisms. Historically, it has been treated with conventional antipsychotics with only moderate success. The conventional antipsychotic most commonly used has been pimozide.

Valproic acid induces the expression of the Na+/I- symporter and iodine uptake in poorly differentiated thyroid cancer cells.

In poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, molecular characteristics are reported to be lost such as to cause insensitivity of the tumor to radiometabolic therapy. Considerable work is in progress to identify compounds that redifferentiate thyroid cancer cells. The present study evaluates the action of valproic acid, a potent anticonvulsant recently reported to inhibit histone deaceytlase, on cultured thyroid cancer cells.

Endoscopic management of adenoma of the major duodenal papilla.

Background: It is well established that adenoma of the major duodenal papilla has a potential for malignant transformation. Standard treatment has been surgical (duodenotomy/local resection, pancreaticoduodenectomy). Endoscopic management is described, but there is no established consensus regarding the approach to papillectomy or the need for surveillance.

Class 1 integrons increase trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole MICs against epidemiologically unrelated Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates.

Twenty-five plasmid-specified antimicrobial resistance determinants common to gram-negative bacilli from nosocomial infection were investigated from 31 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates. Twenty-four clones were identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and in three clones that exhibited an increased trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole MIC, the sul1 determinant was found. These results support not only the higher spread of class 1 integrons compared to other mechanisms but also the potential limitation of using trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for therapy of severe S.

Molecular epidemiology of orf513-bearing class 1 integrons in multiresistant clinical isolates from Argentinean hospitals.

The spread of orf513-bearing class 1 integrons is associated with bla(CTX-M-2) in gram-negative clinical isolates in Argentina, with In35 being the most frequently found integron (74%). Among 65 isolates without bla(CTX-M-2), only one harbored a novel orf513-bearing class 1 integron with the dfrA3b gene. The finding of orf513 not associated with class 1 integrons in two gram-positive strains indicates the widespread occurrence of this putative site-specific recombinase.

Adverse reactions to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole in AIDS.

Objective: To report the case of a woman with AIDS who developed tremor, acute pancreatitis, and elevated serum creatinine levels while receiving trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX).

Case Summary: A 37-year-old Puerto Rican woman with AIDS, HIV nephropathy, and a recent history of disseminated histoplasmosis presented with fever, nonproductive cough, pancytopenia, and elevated transaminase and alkaline phosphatase levels. Serum creatinine was near her baseline level of 2.

NMR solution structure of viscotoxin C1 from Viscum album species Coloratum ohwi: toward a structure-function analysis of viscotoxins.

The high resolution three-dimensional structure of the newly discovered plant viscotoxin C1, from the Asiatic Viscum album ssp. Coloratum ohwi, has been determined in solution by (1)H NMR spectroscopy at pH 3.6 and 285 K.

High energy shock waves (HESW) enhance paclitaxel cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells.

High energy shock waves (HESW) produced by a piezoelectric generator were studied for their effect on human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) viability and sensitivity to paclitaxel. A dose-dependent impairment of cell viability was observed after HESW treatment (250-2000 shock waves, rate = 4/s, energy flux density = 0.25 mJ/mm2).

Development of communication and speech skills after cochlear implant in a sign language child.

In selecting patients to undergo cochlear implant, a pre-existing use of sign language gives rise to two problems that have been widely debated in the literature. First, the caution shown toward the candidacy of patients using this mode of communication, since it is considered a possible element of interference in the acquisition of speech. Secondly, refusal of the cochlear implant procedure, on the part of the deaf community, on the grounds both of cultural identity and of it being more "natural" for a deaf person to use an unimpaired visual channel rather than an impaired hearing channel.

Expression analysis of the human adducin gene family and evidence of ADD2 beta4 multiple splicing variants.

Adducin is a cytoskeleton heterodimeric protein. Its subunits are encoded by three related genes (ADD1, ADD2, and ADD3) which show alternative spliced variants. Adducin polymorphisms are involved in blood pressure regulation in humans and rats.

[Self-esteem in adolescents. A study].

In the present article the adolescents, self esteem is considered. An investigation has been effected in two schools of the Capital. Results show a strong relationship between Nursing and the problems related to the adolescence.

Ligand-independent CXCR2 dimerization.

Homo- and hetero-oligomerization have been reported for several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The CXCR2 is a GPCR that is activated, among the others, by the chemokines CXCL8 (interleukin-8) and CXCL2 (growth-related gene product beta) to induce cell chemotaxis. We have investigated the oligomerization of CXCR2 receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney cells and generated a series of truncated mutants to determine whether they could negatively regulate the wild-type (wt) receptor functions.

Competitive binding of fatty acids and the fluorescent probe 1-8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonate to bovine beta-lactoglobulin.

The use of spectroscopy in the study of fatty acids binding to bovine beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) appears to be a difficult task, as these acid compounds, assumed as the protein natural ligands, do not exhibit favorable optical response such as, for example, absorption or fluorescence. Therefore, the BLG fatty-acid equilibrium has been tackled by exploiting the competition between fatty acids and ANS, a widely used fluorescent hydrophobic probe, whose binding sites on the protein have been characterized recently. Two lifetime decays of the ANS-BLG complex have been found; the longer one has been attributed to the internal binding site and the shorter one to the external site.

EF loop conformational change triggers ligand binding in beta-lactoglobulins.

Beta-lactoglobulins, belonging to the lipocalin family, are a widely studied group of proteins, characterized by the ability to solubilize and transport hydrophobic ligands, especially fatty acids. Despite many reports, the mechanism of ligand binding and the functional role of these proteins is still unclear, and many contradicting concepts are often encountered in the literature. In the present paper the comparative analysis of the binding properties of beta-lactoglobulins has been performed using sequence-derived information, structure-based electrostatic calculations, docking simulations, and NMR experiments.

Selective up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor receptor I in tumor-bearing rats with cancer-related cachexia.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) are important mediators in cancer cachexia; however, the expression of these cytokines and their receptors in tumor-bearing animals is poorly characterized. We analyzed expression of TNF-alpha, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-RI, TNF-RII) and interleukin 6 (IL-6R) receptors in the brain, kidney, spleen, liver, muscle, ascite tumors and serum, from Yoshida AH-130 hepatoma-bearing rats. TNF-alpha increased in the brain, spleen, liver, and muscle of cachectic animals; IL-6 increased in the liver and muscle.

Pro-oxidant effect of dehydroepiandrosterone in rats is mediated by PPAR activation.

DHEA-treatment exerts a dual effect, prooxidant or antioxidant, depending on the dosage and, therefore, on the tissue concentration reached. In agreement with previous studies showing a prooxidant effect of DHEA, here we show that pharmacological doses of DHEA produce increased H(2)O(2) levels and a marked reduction of GSH content in rat liver. DHEA, also increases both catalase (by 30%) and cytochrome-C-reductase (by 30%) activities in the liver cytosol.

Identification of an epidemic carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain at hospitals in Buenos Aires City.

To identify epidemic Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) clones, 38 carbapenem-resistant AB isolates from 5 hospitals were analyzed. Macrorestriction classified 24 isolates as clone IV, susceptibility pattern clustering analysis grouped almost all of them together, and they were uniformly biotype 8. Clone IV was present at all 5 hospitals, so that it represents a carbapenem-resistant AB strain with epidemic behavior.

Solution structure of chicken liver basic fatty acid binding protein.

Chicken liver basic fatty acid binding protein (Lb-FABP) belongs to the basic-type fatty acid binding proteins, a novel group of proteins isolated from liver of different non mammalian species whose structure is not known. The structure of Lb-FABP has been solved by (1)H NMR. The overall fold of Lb-FABP, common to the other proteins of the family, consists of ten antiparallel beta-strands organised in two nearly ortogonal beta-sheets with two alpha helices closing the protein cavity where small hydrophobic ligands can be bound.

SSRIs antidepressant activity is influenced by G beta 3 variants.

The aim of the present study was to test a possible effect of the G-protein beta3-subunit (Gbeta3) C825T gene variant on the antidepressant activity of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in a sample of major and bipolar depressives, with or without psychotic features. Four hundred and ninety inpatients were treated with fluvoxamine 300 mg/day (n=362) or paroxetine 40 mg/day (n=128) and either placebo or pindolol in a double-blind design for 6 weeks. The severity of depressive symptoms was weekly assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression.

Anxiety and depression in hospitalized patients in resistant organism isolation.

Background: Previous studies have reported an increase in psychiatric symptoms in seriously ill patients who were placed in resistant organism isolation. We conducted this study to assess whether there is an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients who are not critically ill and are placed in isolation.

Methods: Patients hospitalized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species infections were evaluated with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at baseline and again during hospitalization.

Energetics of walking in patients with peripheral arterial disease: a proposed functional evaluation protocol.

The energy cost of walking (at 3.2 km x h(-1)) per unit distance (J x kg(-1) x m(-1)) at gradients of 0%, +7%, and +12% and during a progressive test (2% increase in gradient every 2 min), as well as the overall (aerobic plus anaerobic) net cumulative energy consumption and the corresponding maximal exercise duration were assessed in 19 patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and in 13 moderately active control subjects. With a 0% gradient, the energy cost of walking was approximately 40% greater in patients with PAD than in controls (2.

Anticarcinogenic Bowman Birk inhibitor isolated from snail medic seeds (Medicago scutellata): solution structure and analysis of self-association behavior.

The high-resolution three-dimensional structure of a Bowman Birk inhibitor, purified from snail medic seeds (Medicago scutellata) (MSTI), has been determined in solution by 1H NMR spectroscopy at pH 5.6 and 27 degrees C. The structure of MSTI comprises two distinct symmetric domains each composed of a three-stranded beta-sheet containing a VIb type loop, where the active sites are located.

Pediatric quetiapine overdose: a case report and literature review.

Quetiapine is a medication approved for the treatment of psychotic disorders in adults. At this time it is not approved for the treatment of children or adolescents. It is an atypical antipsychotic agent that is efficacious in treating both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Does a pancreatic duct stent prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis? A prospective randomized study.

Background: Pancreatitis is the most frequent complication of ERCP. Injury to the papilla during ERCP could obstruct pancreatic duct outflow and initiate pancreatitis. A randomized prospective study was performed to evaluate the effect of pancreatic duct stent placement on the frequency and severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis in a selected group of patients.

Topiramate Overdose: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Topiramate is a medication introduced in the United States in 1997 for the treatment of epilepsy. Studies are currently underway to determine its effectiveness in the treatment of multiple conditions including bipolar disorder. It is generally well tolerated at doses commonly used in the clinical setting, however, there is little information regarding its safety in overdose.