Custom-made hinged total knee arthroplasties in the context of extra-articular deformity: a case series.

Purpose: Treatment of secondary knee osteoarthritis with a significant extra-articular deformity can be challenging. In such cases, an osteotomy or a custom-made hinged knee arthroplasy (CMH) are treatment options. However, there are limited data on the outcomes of using CMHs.

Medication safety and the usability of electronic prescribing as perceived by physicians-A semistructured interview among primary health care physicians in Finland.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: In Finland, a fully operational and nationwide electronic prescription (ePrescription) system was implemented by law in 2012 to 2015. From 2017, all prescriptions have to be electronic. ePrescriptions are intended to facilitate prescribing and to improve medication safety in Finnish health care.

The impact of electronic prescriptions on medication safety in Finnish community pharmacies: A survey of pharmacists.

Objectives: The purpose was to explore pharmacists' opinions regarding the impacts of electronic prescriptions (ePrescriptions) on medication safety in Finnish community pharmacies. Further objectives were to explore how often and what kinds of ambiguities or errors pharmacists have perceived in ePrescriptions.

Method: A survey of randomly selected dispensers (n=1004) and pharmacists (n=228) was conducted in 2014.

Natural coniferous resin salve used to treat complicated surgical wounds: pilot clinical trial on healing and costs.

Resin is a natural product of coniferous trees. Salves manufactured from spruce resin (Picea abies) have been used for centuries to treat wounds and skin infections. We report a pilot clinical trial designed to investigate healing rates, factors that contribute to delayed wound healing, cost-effectiveness, and incidence of allergic reactions when resin salve is used to treat complicated surgical wounds.

T-cell-mediated mucosal immunity is attenuated in experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.

In premature infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier is immature, but little is known about the immune response of immature bowel. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intestinal mucosal immune response in experimental NEC. In general anaesthesia, NEC was induced in six newborn piglets by injection of bovine casein into terminal ileum.

Intraluminal casein model of necrotizing enterocolitis for assessment of mucosal destruction, bacterial translocation, and the effects of allopurinol and N-acetylcysteine.

An intraluminal casein model (ICM) of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is able to produce small-bowel changes reminiscent of human NEC in neonatal animals. We studied bacterial translocation (BT) in NEC induced by using the ICM in neonatal piglets. We also studied whether allopurinol (AL) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) have an effect on BT and mucosal changes in the ICM of NEC.

Development of a highly purified multicomponent leukocyte IFN-alpha product.

A purification process was developed to obtain a human interferon- alpha (IFN-alpha) product that contains all major IFN-alpha subtypes produced by human leukocytes. The purification was accomplished by immunoaffinity chromatography using two monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and gel filtration. The process comprised two effective virus inactivation steps, solvent detergent treatment, and incubation at low pH, and the purified product was filtered with a 15-nm pore size virus removal filter.

Rectosigmoid pHi monitoring during experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.

Background/purpose: Gastric or rectosigmoid intramural pH (pHi) is considered a reliable indicator of splanchnic perfusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether rectosigmoid pHi reflects the severity of bowel damage in experimental necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

Methods: A total of 36 neonatal piglets, (median age, 3; range, 1 to 11 days; median weight, 2.

Sequential analysis of adhesion molecules and their ligands in rat renal allografts during the development of chronic rejection.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) are important in endothelial cell-leukocyte interactions. In this sequential study, the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and their ligands LFA-1 and VLA-4 as well as major histocompatibility complex class II antigens (MHC class II), and interleukin-2-receptor (IL-2R) were investigated during the development of chronic renal allograft rejection in a rat model. The time-related expression of adhesion molecules and their ligands in the graft was correlated to the chronic allograft damage index (CADI).

Rat cytomegalovirus infection in kidney allograft recipients is associated with increased expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 vascular adhesion molecule-1, and their ligands leukocyte function antigen-1 and very late antigen-4 in the graft.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is suggested to be a risk factor for chronic rejection. We have recently shown that rat CMV (RCMV) increases the inflammatory response and accelerates chronic rejection in a model of rat kidney allograft. In this study, the early inflammatory response and time-related expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and their ligands, leukocyte function antigen-1 (LFA-1) and very late antigen-4 (VLA-4), in the grafts were investigated in RCMV-infected rats and compared to noninfected rats developing chronic rejection.

Time-related effects of cytomegalovirus infection on the development of chronic renal allograft rejection in a rat model.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a risk factor for chronic allograft rejection. The histological findings of chronic renal allograft rejection include inflammation, vascular intimal thickening, glomerulosclerosis, tubular atrophy and fibrosis. We have developed a rat model of renal transplantation in which transplants, after an early inflammatory episode, end up with chronic rejection within 60 days.

Conjugation of interferon alpha to a humanized monoclonal antibody (HuBrE-3vl) enhances the selective localization and antitumor effects of interferon in breast cancer xenografts.

Human mammary carcinoma xenografts (MCF-7) growing in nude mice were treated with natural interferon alpha (n-IFN-alpha) alone or conjugated to a humanized monoclonal antibody (MoAb) anti-breast mucin (HuBrE-3vl) or to irrelevant human IgG1kappa. The IFN and the conjugates were administered as 20 intra-lesional (i.l.

Effect of cytomegalovirus on an experimental model of chronic renal allograft rejection under triple-drug treatment in the rat.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is thought to be a risk factor of chronic rejection. In clinical studies and animal models, mainly concerning graft vasculopathy, CMV has been demonstrated to enhance allograft arteriosclerosis. In this study we have investigated the effect of CMV on the early inflammatory response and graft histology in an experimental model of renal transplantation in a rat strain combination that develops chronic rejection under triple-drug immunosuppression.

Regression of human breast cancer xenografts in response to intralesional treatment with interferons alpha and gamma potentiated by tumor necrosis factor.

The potentiating effects of human recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rTNF-alpha) on the antitumor actions of recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma) and of natural interferons alpha and gamma combined (nIFN-alpha/nIFN-gamma) were studied on human breast cancer xenografts growing bilaterally in nude mice. The cytokines were injected singly or in combination in one of the two tumors of each mouse to study local effects while the opposite tumor was left undisturbed to evaluate systemic effects. The tumors received 20 intralesional injections (four cycles of 5 daily injections each).

Priming with interferon-alpha 1 or interferon-alpha 2 enhances the production of both subtypes simultaneously.

A short period of incubation with interferon-alpha ("priming") increases the amounts of IFN-alpha formed by human peripheral blood leukocytes when subsequently induced with a virus. We investigated specifically the effect of priming on the production of two individual subtypes, IFN-alpha 1 and IFN-alpha 2. The rate of interferon synthesis and the amounts formed were equally potentiated in leukocytes primed with either IFN-alpha 1 or IFN-alpha 2.

Combined alpha- and gamma-interferon therapy for malignant midgut carcinoid tumors. A phase I-II trial.

A phase I-II trial was initiated to investigate the effects of a combination of alpha- and gamma-interferon in 12 patients with malignant carcinoid tumors. All patients were treated with alpha-interferon at a dose of 5-10 MU, 3-5 times weekly for a median of 22 months and had stable or progressive disease. Gamma-interferon was added at a daily dose of 0.

Rapid production of interferon-gamma in uninduced human leukocyte suspensions.

Human leukocytes produced interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) rapidly without induction during incubation at 37 degrees C. The intracellular level peaked at 3 h; the extracellular IFN-gamma reached its maximum at 7 h. Leukocytes purified by different methods, and whether from single donors or pooled from numerous donors, yielded similar amounts of IFN.

Aging in art: beyond stereotypes.

The human experience of aging has always been compelling for artists. This article examines what artists have expressed about demeaning stereotypes related to physical and psychological deprivations, social influence and power, and sexuality in old age. Artistic representations transcend demeaning stereotypes and unveil the truth behind misconceptions.