Sex Differences and the Impact of Chronic Stress and Recovery on Instrumental Learning.

We have previously shown that 21-day chronic restraint stress impacts instrumental learning, but overall few studies have examined sex differences on the impact of stress on learning. We further examined sex differences in response to extended 42-day chronic stress on instrumental learning, as well as recovery from chronic stress. Rats were tested in aversive training tasks with or without prior appetitive experience, and daily body weight data was collected as an index of stress.

Oral eplerenone for treatment of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy: a case series.

Background And Objective: To evaluate the effect of oral eplerenone on subretinal fluid, visual acuity, and choroidal thickness in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR).

Patients And Methods: Retrospective review of all patients (14 eyes of 14 patients) monitored for a minimum of 3 months with chronic CSCR who were treated with oral eplerenone in a single multi-physician retina practice. Visual acuity, dilated funduscopic examination, and spectral-domain ocular coherence tomography (OCT) with enhanced depth imaging (EDI) were obtained at each visit.

Nicotinic receptor activation in perirhinal cortex and hippocampus enhances object memory in rats.

The perirhinal cortex (PRh) and its cholinergic inputs are implicated in object recognition memory. Conversely, the hippocampus (HPC) may be involved in spatial recognition processes that are not essential to the recognition of objects per se. Systemic nicotine has been shown to facilitate both object and spatial memory.

Nerve injury-induced changes in GABA(A) and GABA(B) sub-unit expression in area 3b and cuneate nucleus of adult squirrel monkeys: further evidence of developmental recapitulation.

The primate somatosensory system provides an excellent model system with which to investigate adult neural plasticity. Here, we report immunohistochemical staining data for the GABA(A) α1, GABA(B)R1a, and GABA(B)R1b receptor subunits in somatosensory area 3b, and cuneate nucleus one week after median nerve compression in adult squirrel monkeys. We find a significant decrease in GABA(A) α1 subunit staining across all cortical layers and within both soma and neuropil of the deprived cortical and brainstem regions.

The cortical response to sensory deprivation in adult rats is affected by gonadectomy.

The present study investigated the effects of adult-onset sensory deprivation and gonadectomy. Adult male and female rats underwent unilateral transection of the infraorbital nerve. Half of the subjects had been gonadectomized 1 week prior to the nerve injury.

Long-term results of maximally aggressive trimodality therapy in a high-risk subset of early-stage cervical cancer patients.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term survival and treatment-related morbidity associated with treating patients who have early-stage cervical carcinoma metastatic to the paraaortic lymph nodes with radical hysterectomy, pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy, and adjuvant, extended field chemoradiation with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

Study Design: From 1988 to 1997, 14 consecutive patients referred to Radiological Associates of Sacramento following radical hysterectomy and pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy with findings of clinical stage IB or IIA cervical cancer and histologically confirmed lymph node metastasis to the common iliac or paraaortic distributions were treated with adjuvant, extended field chemoradiation utilizing prolonged infusion 5-FU and bolus cisplatin. Retrospective chart review was performed, and survival and morbidity information were analyzed.

Malignant thymoma metastatic to the pelvis: a rare case and considerations for management.

Background: Thymoma is the most common tumor of the anterior mediastinum. Due to its relative rarity, its inconsistent clinical course and its frequent proximity to vital thoracic structures, management of this generally indolent tumor varies considerably. We present an unusual case of recurrent thymoma metastatic to the pelvis and review treatment experience employing surgical, radiotherapeutic and medical modalities.

Merkel cell carcinoma of the Bartholin's gland.

Background: There are a few cases of "small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma" of the Bartholin's gland as well as Merkel cell carcinoma of the vulva reported in the gynecologic oncology literature, most with aggressive clinical behavior. Merkel cells were originally described in the epidermis with neuroendocrine properties. Merkel cell carcinoma is different from the neuroendocrine small cell (oat cell) tumor arising in the lung and other internal organs based on morphology and immunohistochemistry.

A retrospective review of 15 years of radical radiotherapy with or without concurrent cisplatin and/or 5-fluorouracil for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer.

Radiation therapy is the standard of care treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer in the United States. In 1999 the addition of concomitant chemotherapy to radical radiotherapy became standard. The addition of cisplatin (CDDP) with or without 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy to radiation therapy was based on the near simultaneous reporting of five randomized, controlled clinical trials which all showed an improvement in survival with a magnitude of approximately 35%.

Prolonged survival in recurrent endometrial carcinoma to the brain.

Background: Recurrence of endometrial cancer in the brain is a rare event generally accompanied by limited life expectancy. We present an unusual case of long-term survival following surgical resection of an intracranial endometrial cancer metastasis.

Case: The present case is a patient with FIGO stage IIB, grade III endometrial cancer which recurred 2 months following completion of primary therapy with an isolated lesion in the brain.