Cardiogenic shock: A look at acute functional mitral incompetence.

A 44-year-old man presented with cardiogenic shock secondary to acute functional mitral incompetence as well as septic shock related to pneumonia. The patient deteriorated haemodynamically despite adequate medical therapy. An echocardiogram revealed a massive mitral incompetence and an ejection fraction of 32%.

Direct and indirect cellular effects of aspartame on the brain.

The use of the artificial sweetener, aspartame, has long been contemplated and studied by various researchers, and people are concerned about its negative effects. Aspartame is composed of phenylalanine (50%), aspartic acid (40%) and methanol (10%). Phenylalanine plays an important role in neurotransmitter regulation, whereas aspartic acid is also thought to play a role as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.

Radiation dose estimates of 186Re-hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate for palliation of metastatic osseous lesions: an animal model study.

A common complication in patients with breast or prostate cancer is bone metastases causing pain. New radionuclide therapy methods have recently been proposed for palliation, including 186Re-hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate (186Re-HEDP). This paper reports on the local development of 186Re-HEDP and the biodistribution studied in animals for eventual use in patients.