Cytokeratin profiles of male breast cancers.

Aims: The prognostic factors and expression of molecular markers in male breast carcinomas are similar to those in female breast cancers. The identification of distinct cytokeratin (CK) profiles (basal as opposed to luminal cells) helps to identify subsets of tumours with different clinical behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate CK expression in male breast cancer.

Scapular dysfunction in throwers with pathologic internal impingement.

Study Design: Case control group study.

Objectives: To compare scapular position and orientation between baseball players with and without pathologic internal impingement.

Background: Scapular dysfunction has been implicated as a contributor to throwing-related pathologic internal impingement of the shoulder due to its role in increasing the contact between the greater tuberosity and posterior-superior glenoid, thereby impinging the posterior rotator cuff tendon(s) and labrum.

Influence of pinning effects on the electrochemical formation of silver patterns in agarose-containing sols and gels.

The formation of silver patterns via electrolysis from aqueous silver sulfate + x% w/v agarose sol and gel media, with and without supporting electrolyte, in a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) cylindrical cell at room temperature, is utilized as a reference system to investigate the complexity of pinning effects. From pattern morphology and electrochemical data, both delocalized and localized pinning in the bulk dominate the drift of the growth front, depending on the concentration of agarose in the heterogeneous media. Delocalized pinning results from mobile, small agarose aggregates at the growth front and from their accumulation by the front drift.

Histopathological findings after radiofrequency (RITA) treatment for prostate cancer.

Radiofrequency interstitial tumor ablation (RITA) is a thermal ablation method that uses needles and low radiofrequency (RF) energy. The aim of our study was to evaluate the histopathology of thermal lesions induced by RF energy delivered interstitially in prostate cancer patients who subsequently underwent prostatectomy, and to determine the feasibility, effectiveness and safety of this new method in a pilot study.

Endomyocardial infiltration by B and NK cells foreshadows the recurrence of cardiac allograft rejection.

Heart allograft outcome is unpredictable and acute rejection episodes still occur despite the improvement of immunosuppressive regimens. We therefore investigated whether the immunopathological profile of endomyocardial biopsies might underlie the variations in the clinical course of a graft. Biopsies from transplanted patients were analysed by histology, immunohistochemistry (associated with digital image analysis), confocal and electron microscopy to determine the type and the functional state of leukocytes infiltrating the myocardium, together with their ultrastructural features and those of the graft itself.

Utilization of a pressure sensor guidewire to measure bileaflet mechanical valve gradients: hemodynamic and echocardiographic sequelae.

Suspected prosthetic valve dysfunction is a difficult clinical problem, because of the high risk of repeat valvular surgery. Echocardiographic measurements of prosthetic valvular dysfunction can be misleading, especially with bileaflet valves. Direct measurement of trans-valvular gradients is problematic because of potentially serious catheter entrapment issues.

3-Nitrotyrosine, a marker of nitrosative stress, is increased in breath condensate of allergic asthmatic children.

Background: Asthmatic patients have high exhaled nitric oxide (NO) levels. NO-mediated inflammatory actions are mainly due to NO conversion into reactive nitrogen species, which can lead to nitrotyrosine formation. The aim of this study was to assess 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) levels in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of asthmatic and healthy children and to investigate whether there is any relationship with exhaled NO (FE(NO)) and lung function.

Simple confirmatory method for the determination of erythromycin residues in trout: a fast liquid-liquid extraction followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

In recent years, erythromycin has received considerable attention for its therapeutic efficacy against some bacterial kidney diseases in aquaculture and, therefore, suitable and sensitive analytical methods to monitor erythromycin residues in fish are required. A fast sample treatment followed by an LC-ESI-MS/MS method is described for the purification, identification, and quantification of erythromycin A residues in fish. After two extractions with acetonitrile, samples were defatted with n-hexane, filtered, and analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry.

Glenohumeral range of motion deficits and posterior shoulder tightness in throwers with pathologic internal impingement.

Background: Alterations in glenohumeral range of motion, including increased posterior shoulder tightness and glenohumeral internal rotation deficit that exceeds the accompanying external rotation gain, are suggested contributors to throwing-related shoulder injuries such as pathologic internal impingement. Yet these contributors have not been identified in throwers with internal impingement.

Hypothesis: Throwers with pathologic internal impingement will exhibit significantly increased posterior shoulder tightness and glenohumeral internal rotation deficit without significantly increased external rotation gain.

A short gamma-ray burst apparently associated with an elliptical galaxy at redshift z = 0.225.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) come in two classes: long (> 2 s), soft-spectrum bursts and short, hard events. Most progress has been made on understanding the long GRBs, which are typically observed at high redshift (z approximately 1) and found in subluminous star-forming host galaxies. They are likely to be produced in core-collapse explosions of massive stars.

"Low-dose" recombinant activated factor VII results in less blood and blood product use in traumatic hemorrhage.

Background: This study was designed to compare mortality and blood product use in patients who received recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) for traumatic hemorrhage to a matched historic control.

Methods: Trauma registry data of bleeding trauma patients who received rFVIIa (40 microg/kg, repeated once if needed) included 28-day mortality; pre- and post-rFVIIa international normalized ratio; and packed red blood cell (PRBC), fresh frozen plasma, platelet, and cryoprecipitate requirements. A control group was created of bleeding patients who did not receive rFVIIa by matching for Injury Severity Score and age.

On-the-Field Resistance-Tubing Exercises for Throwers: An Electromyographic Analysis.

Context: Athletes who throw commonly use rubber-tubing resistance exercises in the field setting to assist with warm-up before throwing. Yet no researchers have described which muscles are being activated or which exercises are most effective during rubber-tubing exercises used by throwers for warm-up.Objective: To describe the effectiveness of 12 rubber-tubing resistance exercises commonly used by throwers in activating the shoulder muscles important for throwing.

Exhaled breath condensate cysteinyl leukotrienes are increased in children with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Background: It is recognized that airway inflammation has a central role in the pathogenesis of asthma, but how it relates to exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is not completely understood.

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between EIB and baseline concentrations of cysteinyl leukotrienes (Cys-LTs) and other inflammatory markers in exhaled breath condensate (EBC).

Methods: EBC was collected, and the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FE NO ) was measured in a group of 19 asthmatic children, after which they performed a treadmill exercise test.

Tropisetron: optimal dosage for children in prevention of chemotherapy-induced vomiting.

The antiemetic efficacy and tolerability of Tropisetron (Navoban, Novartis Pharma Switzerland AG, Bern), a selective 5-hydroxytriptamine receptor antagonist, has been assessed in the prevention of acute vomiting in children receiving chemotherapy for solid tumors. Tropisetron iv was given 30 min before administration of chemotherapy at a dose of 5 mg in children <20 kg body weight and at a dose of 10 mg in those >20 kg. A total of 50 children were studied in 189 courses of chemotherapy.

Scapular position and orientation in throwing athletes.

Background: Despite the recognized importance of proper 3-dimensional motion of the scapula in throwers, minimal research has quantified scapular position and orientation in throwing athletes.

Hypothesis: Throwing athletes exhibit scapular position and orientation differences when compared to nonthrowing control subjects.

Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study.

Epidemiology of sepsis in patients with traumatic injury.

Objective: To characterize the epidemiology of sepsis in trauma.

Design: Analysis of a prospectively collected administrative database (Pennsylvania trauma registry).

Setting: All trauma centers in the state of Pennsylvania (n = 28)

Patients: All patients (n = 30,303) with blunt or penetrating injury admitted to Pennsylvania trauma centers over a 2-yr period (January 1996-December 1997).

[QT dispersion and myonecrosis after stent percutaneous coronary intervention].

Background: QT dispersion (QTd) is the difference between the maximum and the minimum QT interval in the 12-lead ECG. There is currently no information on the relationship between QTd and creatine kinase (CK)-MB release in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: Among 118 patients undergoing successful PCI stenting, QTd and corrected QTd (QTdc) were measured at standard 12-lead ECG before PCI and at 6 and 18 hours after PCI.

Nasal nitric oxide is low early in life: case study of two infants with primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Nasal nitric oxide levels are low in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia, but it is not known whether this defect is already present in the first months of life. The current authors measured nasal nitric oxide in two infants with situs inversus and primary ciliary dyskinesia, diagnosed by electron microscopy at 4 and 6 months of age, and in five healthy control infants. Nasal nitric oxide values in the primary ciliary dyskinesia infants (85 and 115 parts per billion (ppb)) were markedly lower than in the healthy controls (mean: 295 ppb, range: 225-379 ppb).

High-frequency percussive ventilation: an alternative mode of ventilation for head-injured patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: Adult respiratory distress syndrome develops in up to 20% of patients with severe head injury. This complicates the treatment of head-injured patients because lung-protective strategies such as high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and permissive hypercapnia may increase intracranial pressure (ICP) and reduce cerebral perfusion pressure. The use of high-frequency percussive ventilation (HFPV) is an alternate mode of ventilation that may improve oxygenation for head-injured patients while also lowering ICP.

Initial head computed tomographic scan characteristics have a linear relationship with initial intracranial pressure after trauma.

Background: Despite current recommendations by the Brain Trauma Foundation regarding the placement of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring devices, advances in computed tomographic (CT) scan technology have led to the suggestion that increased ICP may be predicted by findings on admission head CT scan and that patients without such findings do not require such monitoring. A linear relationship exists between characteristics of admission head CT scan and initial ICP level, allowing for selective placement of ICP monitoring devices.

Methods: From 1997 to 2001, a retrospective review of patients admitted with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score < 8 and head CT scan who underwent ventriculostomy placement at our institution, was conducted.

Male gender is associated with increased risk for postinjury pneumonia.

Nosocomial pneumonia in trauma patients is a significant source of resource utilization and mortality. We have previously described increased rates of pneumonia in male trauma patients in a single institution study. In that study, female trauma patients had a lower incidence of postinjury pneumonia but a higher relative risk for mortality when they did develop pneumonia.

[Peripheral blood stem cell collection in pediatric malignancies: comparison between three mobilizing regimens].

Purpose: The optimal method for PBSC (peripheral blood stem cells) mobilization in pediatric patients is still unknown. The present study was conducted to evaluate the safety of apheresis procedures and to compare the efficacy of three methods of PBSC mobilization.

Patients And Methods: Our study was performed on 28 pediatric patients (in three groups) with solid tumors at onset or on relapse.