Orangutans' Comprehension of Zoo Keepers' Communicative Signals.

Zoological institutions often encourage cooperative interactions between keepers and animals so as to promote animals' welfare. One useful technique has been conditioning training, whereby animals learn to respond to keepers' requests, which facilitates a number of, otherwise sensitive, daily routines. As various media have been used to convey keepers' instructions, the question remains of which modality is best to promote mutual understanding.

Comparative analysis of methods for real-time analytical control of chemotherapies preparations.

Control of chemotherapies preparations are now an obligation in France, though analytical control is compulsory. Several methods are available and none of them is presumed as ideal. We wanted to compare them so as to determine which one could be the best choice.

Rationale for Prospective Assays of Intrathecal Mixtures Including Morphine, Ropivacaine and Ziconotide: Prevention of Adverse Events and Feasibility in Clinical Practice.

Background: Use of intrathecal admixtures is widespread, but compounding these is sometimes challenging and may result in errors and complications causing super-potency or sub potency adverse events in patients or malfunctions in the pump itself.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of compounding of intrathecal admixtures through a prospective, systematic quantitative analysis of each component of the mixture before delivery to patients.

Study Design: Observational follow up prospective study of intrathecal mixtures components concentrations before refills.

Influence of pH and temperature on ziconotide stability in intrathecal analgesic admixtures in implantable pumps and syringes.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of pH and temperature on the stability of ziconotide in analgesic admixtures containing morphine and ropivacaine.

Methods: All admixtures were combined using a wide range of concentrations, in implantable pumps and syringes, using temperatures from 4°C to 37°C. Quantification was made thanks to a specific chromatographic technique.

Retreatment with TACE: the ABCR SCORE, an aid to the decision-making process.

Background & Aims: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard of care for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and it is the most commonly used treatment for HCC worldwide. However, no prognostic indices, designed to select appropriate candidates for repeat conventional TACE, have been incorporated in the guidelines.

Methods: From January 2007 to April 2012, 139 consecutive HCC patients, mainly with an alcohol- or viral-induced disease, were treated with TACE.

Effects of discontinuing or continuing ongoing statin therapy in severe sepsis and septic shock: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Recent publications suggest potential benefits from statins as a preventive or adjuvant therapy in sepsis. Whether ongoing statin therapy should be continued or discontinued in patients admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) for sepsis is open to question.

Methods: We retrospectively compared patients with severe sepsis and septic shock in whom statin therapy had been discontinued or continued.

Evaluation of the Architect tacrolimus assay in kidney, liver, and heart transplant recipients.

The narrow therapeutic range of tacrolimus requires therapeutic drug monitoring to prevent transplant rejection and to minimize nephrotoxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analytical performance of the tacrolimus chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) in everyday practice comparatively with other methods. CMIA imprecision and accuracy were tested using low, medium, and high concentrations in control samples.

Radiofrequency ablation of unresectable liver tumors: factors associated with incomplete ablation or local recurrence.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver tumors is associated with a risk of incomplete ablation or local recurrence.

Methods: One hundred sixty-eight patients with 311 unresectable liver tumors were included. Effects of different variables on incomplete ablation and local recurrence were analyzed.

Compatibility and stability of binary mixtures of acetaminophen, nefopam, ketoprofen and ketamine in infusion solutions.

Background And Objective: Administering various combinations of acetaminophen, ketoprofen, nefopam and ketamine, though sometimes discussed, is expected to provide superior pain relief and reduce opioid analgesic-related side effects. However, some studies have indicated that multimodal analgesia has limited efficacy. We studied the stability of various binary combinations of these four drugs.

Effects of biliary obstruction on the penetration of ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime.

Objective: To evaluate the biliary penetration of ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime in patients with obstructed bile ducts and to determine simple predictive markers of effective biliary concentrations of these drugs.

Methods: Sixty-two patients treated with endoscopic biliary drainage were prospectively included in a nonrandomized way and received intravenous ciprofloxacin (200 mg twice daily) or cefotaxime (1 g three times a day) for more than 24 h before exploration. Blood and bile samples were collected at the time of drainage.

Cost of radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of hepatic malignancies.

Objectives: Our primary objective was to assess the cost of radio-frequency ablation (RFA) of hepatic malignancies and to compare it to hospital reimbursement paid in the French Prospective Payment System (PPS).

Patients And Methods: A series of 305 patients were enrolled into a prospective study. All resources used during the RFA-related hospital stay were recorded.

Radiofrequency ablation in palliative supportive care: early clinical experience.

We report our early experience with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in palliative supportive care. The medical files of eight patients were retrospectively reviewed. Four patients had a renal tumor, and nephrectomy was contraindicated in each patient since they had a poor general status.