Single anterior procedure for stabilization of a three-part fracture of the axis (odontoid dens and hangman fracture): case report.

Study Design: A case of a 3-part fracture of the axis combining an odontoid dens and a hangman fracture is reported.

Objective: To describe a single anterior procedure allowing stabilization with an odontoid screw fixation and a C2-C3 fusion in a case of complex fracture of the axis.

Summary Of Background Data: Even if fractures of the axis are common, multiples fractures of the axis are rare and their management is still challenging for surgeons who have to achieve primary stability, early mobilization, preserved cervical range of motion, and favorable outcome.

Incidence and predictors of treatment-related mortality in paediatric acute leukaemia in El Salvador.

Survival rates among children with leukaemia in low-income countries are lower than those in high-income countries. This has been attributed in part to higher treatment-related mortality (TRM). We examined the demographics, treatment, and outcomes of paediatric patients in El Salvador with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) to determine the incidence, causes, and risk factors for TRM.

Exposure to severe stressors causes long-lasting dysregulation of resting and stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Exposure to some predominantly emotional (electric shock) and systemic (interleukin-1beta) stressors has been found to induce long-term sensitization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responsiveness to further superimposed stressors. Since exposure to immobilization on wooden boards (IMO) is a severe stressor and may have interest regarding putative animal models of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), we have characterized long-lasting effects of a single exposure to IMO and other stressors on the HPA response to the same (homotypic) and to novel (heterotypic) stressors and the putative mechanisms involved. A single exposure to IMO caused a long-lasting reduction of peripheral and central responses of the HPA axis, likely to be mediated by some brain areas, such as the lateral septum and the medial amygdala.

An automated procedure for estimating the leaf area index (LAI) of woodland ecosystems using digital imagery, MATLAB programming and its application to an examination of the relationship between remotely sensed and field measurements of LAI.

Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the most important variables required for modelling growth and water use of forests. Functional-structural plant models use these models to represent physiological processes in 3-D tree representations. Accuracy of these models depends on accurate estimation of LAI at tree and stand scales for validation purposes.

Management of large vestibular schwannomas by combined surgical resection and gamma knife radiosurgery.

In this report, we evaluated the treatment results of a combination of surgery and radiosurgery for large vestibular schwannomas. The series of 8 patients included in this study underwent surgery followed by radiosurgical treatment between January 2000 and January 2006. The patients included 5 males and 3 females aged 24-78 years (mean age: 53 years).

[Degenerating neurocysticercosis cysts: differential diagnosis with cerebral metastasis].

Introduction: Neurocysticercosis is the most common parasitic disease of the central nervous system. It has a worldwide distribution.

Case Report: We report the case of a 70-year-old woman from Guadeloupe presenting gait abnormalities, impaired ideation, right hemiparesis in a context of weight loss, and fatigue.

[Prognostic implications of biologic markers in intracranial meningiomas: 120 cases].

Unlabelled: The recurrence and progression of treated intracranial meningiomas highlights the problem of the type of follow-up that should be used and whether early complementary treatment is indicated. The aim of this study was to evaluate different biochemical markers involved in cell proliferation and transformation to identify new prognostic factors in intracranial meningiomas. Between 1989 and 2003, 120 intracranial meningiomas were studied biochemically.

[Surgical kyphoplasty for management of axis metastasis: technical note kyphoplastie de C2].

C2 vertebral metastases are seldom encountered. They usually cause disabling pain at the upper cervical level and can also result in life-threatening spinal instability. The technique described herein may provide a valuable minimally invasive option for treating this condition.

A single exposure to immobilization causes long-lasting pituitary-adrenal and behavioral sensitization to mild stressors.

We have previously reported that a single exposure to immobilization (IMO) in rats causes a long-term desensitization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response to the same (homotypic) stressor. Since there are reports showing that a single exposure to other stressors causes sensitization of the HPA response to heterotypic stressors and increases anxiety-like behavior, we studied in the present work the long-term effects of IMO on behavioral and HPA response to mild superimposed stressors. In Experiments 1 and 2, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 2 h of IMO and then exposed for 5 min to the elevated plus-maze (EPM) at 1, 3 or 7 days after IMO.

An analysis of the sensitivity of sap flux to soil and plant variables assessed for an Australian woodland using a soil-plant-atmosphere model.

Daily and seasonal patterns of tree water use were measured for the two dominant tree species, Angophora bakeri E.C.Hall (narrow-leaved apple) and Eucalyptus sclerophylla (Blakely) L.

[Value of relative cerebral blood volume measurement using perfusion MRI in glioma management].

Introduction: Neoangiogenesis is a critical feature that can differentiate high-grade from low-grade glioma. Conventional MR imaging does not assess this histological feature accurately. The goal of this study was to evaluate the gain in relative cerebral blood volume measurement using perfusion MRI in the management of cerebral gliomas.

[Intramedullary spinal tuberculoma: report of one case].

Neurological symptoms of tuberculosis are rare, even if there this pathology has been on the rise for a number of years because of HIV. Intramedullary tuberculoma is an exceptional location. We report the case of a patient with no HIV or immunodepression symptoms with intramedullary tuberculoma, revealed by a clinical presentation of insidious onset of myelopathy.

[Spondylitis following vertebroplasty. Case report and review of the literature].

We report the observation of a 76-year-old female who was treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty for an L3 osteoporotic compression fracture. Fifteen days after this procedure, a cauda equina syndrome occurred. The neuroimaging studies showed worsening of the compression fracture and the appearance of a posterior wall displacement.

[Minimally invasive transmuscular approach for the treatment of lumbar far lateral disc herniation].

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a minimally invasive surgical technique for the treatment of lumbar far lateral disc herniation. This technique combines the tubular retractor with the operative microscope.

Objective And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the files of 26 patients: 15 men and 11 women.

Administration of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum affects the diversity of murine intestinal lactobacilli, but not the overall bacterial community structure.

Lactobacilli are normal inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of many mammalian hosts. Their administration as probiotics in functional foods is currently a frequent practice, mainly because of their benefits to host health. It is therefore of interest to study the impact of administration of exogenous strains of Lactobacillus normally used as probiotics upon endogenous microbial populations.

Molecular microbial and chemical investigation of the bioremediation of two-phase olive mill waste using laboratory-scale bioreactors.

Two-phase olive mill waste (TPOMW) is a semisolid effluent that is rich in contaminating polyphenols and is produced in large amounts by the industry of olive oil production. Laboratory-scale bioreactors were used to investigate the biodegradation of TPOMW by its indigenous microbiota. The effect of nutrient addition (inorganic N and P) and aeration of the bioreactors was studied.

[Disappearance of retro-odontoid pseudotumor after C1-C2 transarticular fixation screw].

Atlantoaxial degenerative articular cysts are described in various situations like rheumatoid arthritis, dialysis, and fractures...

Endovascular treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension: clinical and radiologic outcome of 10 consecutive patients.

Objective: To explore the relation between venous disease and idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Background: Optic nerve sheath fenestration and ventricular shunting are the classic methods when medical treatment has failed. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is caused by venous sinus obstruction in an unknown percentage of cases.

Molecular variability of sweet potato feathery mottle virus and other potyviruses infecting sweet potato in Peru.

Several potyviruses are found infecting sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) in Peru, of which sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV, genus Potyvirus) is the most common. However, sequence data for these viruses are not available from Peru. In this study, the 3'-terminal approximately 1,800 nucleotide sequences of 17 potyvirus samples collected from the six main sweet potato-producing areas of Peru over the past 20 years were determined and analyzed.

A strain of Lactobacillus plantarum affects segmented filamentous bacteria in the intestine of immunosuppressed mice.

Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) are present in the gastrointestinal tract of mice from weaning until the maturation of the immune system. Probiotic bacteria also have an effect on host immunity. To study the relationships established between these bacteria, samples from a mouse model fed with Lactobacillus plantarum under different immunological conditions were analysed.

[Cranial vault chondroma: a case report and literature review].

Intracranial chondromas are unusual tumors, which most commonly arise from cartilage rets in the synchondrosis at the base of the skull. They are most likely found in the sellar and parasellar regions, usually located extradurally. In rare instances, these tumors originate from the dura mater of the convexity.