Hypoglycemic activity of Ailanthus excelsa leaves in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The hypoglycemic activity of a 70% methanol extract from the leaves of Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. (Simaroubaceae) was studied in normal, transiently hyperglycemic and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Oral administration of the extract at doses of 14, 70 and 350 mg/kg body weight caused no significant changes in fasting blood glucose levels of normal rats.

The impact of acute alcoholic hepatitis in the explanted recipient liver on outcome after liver transplantation.

Patients with clinical acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH) are not considered suitable candidates for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The histological correlates of AAH are often seen in the explanted liver at the time of transplantation. The importance of these findings remains inconclusive regarding their role as a prognostic marker for patient or allograft health.

Abdominal surgery in nonagenarians: short-term results.

Purpose: To determine the short-term results of abdominal surgery in nonagenarians.

Methods: Retrospective analyses of 193 patients aged 90 and older operated on for abdominal complaints during a 15-year period (1990-2004) in a 500-bed tertiary care institutional hospital and 100-bed rural institutional hospital in Spain. The factors analyzed included the following: perioperative risk, diagnosis, operative procedures, timing of operation (elective or emergency), morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay.

The African Millennium Villages.

We describe the concept, strategy, and initial results of the Millennium Villages Project and implications regarding sustainability and scalability. Our underlying hypothesis is that the interacting crises of agriculture, health, and infrastructure in rural Africa can be overcome through targeted public-sector investments to raise rural productivity and, thereby, to increased private-sector saving and investments. This is carried out by empowering impoverished communities with science-based interventions.

Impact of a CT colonography screening program on endoscopic colonoscopy in clinical practice.

Objective: The potential effect of CT colonography (CTC) on endoscopic colonoscopy (EC) has been the topic of much speculation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a CTC screening program on colonoscopy in clinical practice.

Methods: At our institution a third-party reimbursed CTC colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program was established in 2004.

Lesions of the hypothalamus: MR imaging diagnostic features.

The hypothalamus is susceptible to involvement by a variety of processes, including developmental abnormalities, primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), vascular tumors, systemic tumors affecting the CNS, and inflammatory and granulomatous diseases. The hypothalamus may also be involved by lesions arising from surrounding structures such as the pituitary gland. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the modality of choice for evaluating the anatomy and pathologic conditions of the hypothalamus.

Clinical response to glatiramer acetate correlates with modulation of IFN-gamma and IL-4 expression in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: To determine whether glatiramer acetate (GA)-induced lymphoproliferation and IFN-gamma and IL-4 modulation correlate with the clinical response in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Background: GA therapy involves the induction of anti-inflammatory cytokine shifts. However, it is not known whether this response correlates with the clinical outcome.

Lack of post-exercise depression of corticospinal excitability in patients with Parkinson's disease.

There is lack of clarity in the literature over whether patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) show the same post-exercise depression of corticospinal excitability as is usually observed in healthy control. This study set out to resolve the problem. Ten patients with idiopathic PD and 10 age-matched controls were included in this study.

Safety of endoscopy after myocardial infarction based on cardiovascular risk categories: a retrospective analysis of 135 patients at a tertiary referral medical center.

Goals: To establish the safety of endoscopic procedures performed in patients with recent myocardial infarction (MI) based upon specific cardiac risk categories.

Background: There are no specific guidelines that dictate when to perform endoscopy in patients after recent MI, as this population may be at increased risk for cardiopulmonary complications at the time of endoscopy.

Study: Retrospective analysis of data collected over 48 months on 135 patients who experienced a MI and within the next 30 days had an endoscopic procedure performed.

Liver transplantation: an update 2007.

Purpose Of Review: Recent attention in liver transplantation has focused on equity in organ allocation and management of posttransplant complications.

Recent Findings: Adoption of the model for end-stage liver disease for liver allocation has been successful in implementing a system based on medical urgency rather than waiting time. Refinements are being studied in improving the prediction of mortality and improving transplant benefit by balancing pretransplant mortality and posttransplant survival.

The role and clinical value of EUS in a multimodality esophageal carcinoma staging program with CT and positron emission tomography.

Background: EUS, CT, and positron emission tomography (PET) have all been used in the preoperative staging of esophageal cancer separately or in various combinations.

Objective: Our purpose was to determine the value and role of EUS when used in conjunction with CT and PET imaging in staging cancer of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction.

Design: Retrospective single-center clinical trial.

Effect of Leishmania gerbilli injection on mice immunization against cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major.

In the present study Leishmania gerbilli were used to immunize BALB/c mice against pathogenic strains of leishmania to determine whether injection of L. gerbilli in mice could protect them against later L. major inoculation.

Placement of gastrostomy tubes in patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunts does not result in increased incidence of shunt infection or decreased survival.

The objective of this study was to examine if G-tube (G-tube) placement in patients with ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts results in shunt infection or impacts patient survival. We performed a retrospective cohort study. Patients underwent VP shunt and G-tube placement.

Hepatitis C in transplant recipients of solid organs, other than liver.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is prevalent in candidates for, and recipients of, solid organ transplants. HCV infection can lead to diminished patient and allograft survival in the long-term in recipients of kidney transplants. Outcomes in recipients of other solid organ transplants (lung, heart, small bowel, pancreas, pancreas-kidney) are not well established.

Inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) by flavonoids isolated from Ailanthus excelsa (Roxb) (Simaroubaceae).

In our screening program for antihypertensive properties of plants, the leaves of Ailanthus excelsa (Roxb), a plant used in Egyptian traditional medicine, were analysed. Chromatographic separation of A. excelsa MeOH extract yielded six flavonoids for the first time from this species, namely apigenin, luteolin, kaempferol-3-O-alpha-arabinopyranoside, kaempferol-3-O-beta-galactopyranoside, quercetin-3-O-alpha-arabinopyranoside and luteolin-7-O-beta-glucopyranoside.

Fabrication and characterization of microstructures with optical quality surfaces in fused silica glass using femtosecond laser pulses and chemical etching.

We present a study of the sidewall surface quality inside microchannels fabricated in fused silica glass by femtosecond laser pulses and chemical etching. Multiple combinations of laser exposure and etching solution parameters were examined. Results of scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and optical reflection analyses of the surfaces are presented.

Nanoindentation and birefringence measurements on fused silica specimen exposed to low-energy femtosecond pulses.

Femtosecond laser pulses used in a regime below the ablation threshold have two noticeable effects on Fused Silica (a-SiO2): they locally increase the material refractive index and modify its HF etching selectivity. The nature of the structural changes induced by femtosecond laser pulses in fused silica is not fully understood. In this paper, we report on nanoindentation and birefringence measurements on fused silica exposed to low-energy femtosecond laser pulses.

Liver transplantation: an update.

Purpose Of Review: Recent attention in liver transplantation has focused on equity in organ allocation and management of post-transplant complications.

Recent Findings: Adoption of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) for liver allocation has been successful in implementing a system based on medical urgency rather than waiting time. Refinements are being studied in reducing geographic disparities and improving transplant benefit by balancing pre-transplant mortality and post-transplant survival.

Waveguide electro-optic modulator in fused silica fabricated by femtosecond laser direct writing and thermal poling.

An integrated electro-optic waveguide modulator is demonstrated in bulk fused silica. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer waveguide structure is fabricated by direct writing with a femtosecond laser followed by thermal poling. A 20 degrees electro-optic phase shift is achieved at an operating wavelength of 1.

Microfluidic sorting system based on optical waveguide integration and diode laser bar trapping.

Effective methods for manipulating, isolating and sorting cells and particles are essential for the development of microfluidic-based life science research and diagnostic platforms. We demonstrate an integrated optical platform for cell and particle sorting in microfluidic structures. Fluorescent-dyed particles are excited using an integrated optical waveguide network within micro-channels.

A cryogenically stabilized meV-monochromator for hard X-rays.

The design and performance results for a cryogenically stabilized high-resolution monochromator for 23.880 keV (lambda = 52 pm) X-rays are presented. The four-crystal-reflection monochromator is suitable for nuclear resonant scattering measurements from 119Sn compounds using synchrotron radiation.

Sirolimus-itraconazole interaction in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient.

Interactions between azole antifungal agents and immunosuppressants that are metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 (chiefly calcineurin inhibitors) are well documented. Interactions between itraconazole and sirolimus are known to occur in patients after solid organ transplantation, but interactions in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients have yet to be reported in the literature. We describe an allogeneic HSCT recipient who experienced supratherapeutic trough levels of sirolimus as a result of its coadministration with itraconazole.

Excitations of lithium ammonia complexes studied by inelastic x-ray scattering.

We have carried out high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering measurements of the excitations of lithium dissolved in ammonia. The incident x-ray energy was 21.6 keV and the resolution was about 2 meV.

Comparison of the effect of non-ionic and ionic contrast agents on pancreatic histology in a canine model.

Context: Pancreatitis is the most frequent complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Controversy exists whether low osmolarity non-ionic contrast agents lessen the rate of pancreatitis and pancreatic injury. To evaluate we used a canine model to compare pancreatography performed with ionic and non-ionic contrast.