Ventricular ectopy following successful cryoablation for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in the right posterior septum: a case report.

We report a case of new onset ventricular ectopy following cryothermal ablation of a right posterior septal accessory pathway. To our knowledge, this is the first report of secondary arrhythmias from cryothermal ablation of atrial arrhythmias.

Axillary versus infraclavicular placement for endocardial heart rhythm devices in patients with pediatric and congenital heart disease.

Our objective was to evaluate the implant and mid-term outcomes of transvenous pacemaker or internal cardioverter-defibrillator placement by alternative axillary approaches compared to the infraclavicular approach in a pediatric and congenital heart disease population. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with new endocardial heart rhythm devices placed at 4 pediatric arrhythmia centers. A total of 317 patients were included, 63 had undergone a 2-incision axillary approach, 51 a retropectoral axillary approach, and 203 an infraclavicular approach.

Use of cryoablation for treatment of tachyarrhythmias in 2010: survey of current practices of pediatric electrophysiologists.

Background: Cryoablation for arrhythmia substrates in pediatrics has been available since 2003. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current approach of pediatric electrophysiologists to the use of cryoablation in the current era.

Methods: We sent an Internet link to an online survey to all members of the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society.

Curcumin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Curcumin has a potent antiproliferative activity and can also potentiate the antitumor effect of gemcitabine. This study was undertaken to evaluate the activity and feasibility of gemcitabine in combination with curcumin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Seventeen patients were enrolled in the study and received 8,000 mg of curcumin by mouth daily, concurrently with gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) IV weekly × 3 of 4 wk; 5 patients (29%) discontinued curcumin after a few days to 2 wk due to intractable abdominal fullness or pain, and the dose of curcumin was reduced to 4,000 mg/day because of abdominal complaints in 2 other patients.

Uptake of all-trans retinoic acid-containing aerosol by inhalation to lungs in a guinea pig model system--a pilot study.

Systemic therapies with retinoic acid (RA) can result in toxic side effects without yielding biologically effective levels in target tissues such as lung. The authors adapted a PARI LC Star nebulizer to create a tubular system for short-term inhalation treatment of guinea pigs using a water-miscible formulation of all-trans RA (ATRA) or vehicle. Based on the initial average weight, animals received an estimated average ATRA doses of either 0.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of retinol, retinyl esters, tocopherols and selected carotenoids out of various internal organs form different species by HPLC.

We report the validation of a reversed-phase gradient HPLC method allowing simultaneous quantification of retinol, retinyl esters, tocopherols and selected carotenoids in lung, liver and plasma of mouse, rat and guinea pig (gp) using a diode array detector. A significant species difference was observed regarding the distribution of retinol and retinyl esters. The levels of total retinol in lung, liver and plasma were in the following order: mouse >> rat > gp; rat >mouse > gp; and gp >> rat > mouse, respectively.

Incidental dual atrioventricular nodal physiology in children and adolescents: clinical follow-up and implications.

Background: Dual atrioventricular (AV) nodal physiology is a substrate for the development of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). However, the risk of developing AVNRT in patients with dual AV nodal physiology is not known. The purpose of this study is to identify the risk of developing AVNRT in children and adolescents with incidental findings of dual AV nodal physiology after accessory pathway ablation.

Critical care nurses' perceptions of obstacles, supports, and knowledge needed in providing quality end-of-life care.

In response to critical care nurses' perceptions of increasing stress and conflict in difficult end-of-life (EOL) situations, the researchers conducted a study to identify perceived obstacles, supports, and knowledge needed to provide quality EOL care. The conclusions were as follows: (1) families and patients need clear, direct, and consistent information to make EOL decisions; (2) physician-related issues affect nurses' ability to provide quality EOL care; (3) critical care nurses need more knowledge, skill, and a sense of cultural competency to provide quality care; and (4) having properly completed advance directives can reduce confusion about the goals of care. Recommendations for improving EOL care were made as a result of the study.

High-speed pattern projection for three-dimensional shape measurement using laser speckles.

We propose a high-speed projection system that is able to project statistical speckle patterns at a rate of 500Hz. Its purpose is to generate structured light for a real-time photogrammetry stereo vision setup. As conventional digital light projector (DLP) projection setups are limited in their maximum projection rate to 250Hz for gray-value patterns, stripe projection systems are usually applied for real-time three-dimensional (3D) measurements.

Use of a wearable automated defibrillator in children compared to young adults.

Background: A wearable automated external defibrillator has been shown to be efficacious in the prevention of sudden death in adults who had a history of cardiac arrest but who did not have a permanent internal cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) placed. The use of a wearable defibrillator has not been established in the pediatric population.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical database for the wearable external defibrillator from ZOLL Lifecor Corporation (Pittsburgh, PA, USA).

Maternal microchimerism in juvenile tonsils and adenoids.

During pregnancy small amounts of cells pass between the mother and the fetus, and this transfer may give rise to a chimeric state that persist for years in both individuals. Both fetal and maternal microchimerism (MMc) have been associated with different autoimmune disorders. Information about MMc in tissues of healthy individuals is sparse but is important when looking for maternal cells within affected tissues of certain diseases.

Positron Emission Tomography and Computer Tomography (PET/CT) in Prostate, Bladder, and Testicular Cancers.

Positron emission computed tomography (PET) is a functional, noninvasive method for imaging regional metabolic processes that is nowadays most often combined to morphological imaging with computed tomography (CT). Its use is based on the well-founded assumption that metabolic changes occur earlier in tumors than morphologic changes, adding another dimension to imaging. This article will review the established and investigational indications and radiopharmaceuticals for PET/CT imaging for prostate cancer, bladder cancer and testicular cancer, before presenting upcoming applications in radiation therapy.

Covered nitinol stents for the treatment of esophageal strictures and leaks.

Aim: To compare 2 different types of covered esophageal nitinol stents (Ultraflex and Choostent) in terms of efficacy, complications, and long-term outcome.

Methods: A retrospective review of a consecutive series of 65 patients who underwent endoscopic placement of an Ultraflex stent (n = 33) or a Choostent (n = 32) from June 2001 to October 2009 was conducted.

Results: Stent placement was successful in all patients without hospital mortality.

A university and health care organization partnership to prepare nurses for evidence-based practice.

This article describes a partnership model between a university and health care organizations for teaching graduate nursing research from a framework of evidence-based practice. Nurses from health care organizations identified topics for graduate students to search the literature and synthesize evidence for guiding nursing practice. Nurse educators mentored graduate students in conducting critical appraisals of the literature.

[Self-expanding oesophageal stents: comparison of Ultraflex and Choostent].

Two types of covered self-expanding metal stents were compared in a consecutive series of 57 patients. Stent placement was successful in all patients. No procedure-related deaths were observed.

Observation of a helical self-organized state in a compact toroidal plasma.

A nonaxisymmetric stable magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium within a prolate cylindrical conducting boundary has been produced experimentally. It has m=1 azimuthal symmetry, helical distortion, and flat lambda profile, all in agreement with the computed magnetically relaxed minimum magnetic energy Taylor state. Despite varied initial conditions determined by two helicity injectors on the device, this same equilibrium consistently emerges as the final state.

Curcumin as an anti-cancer agent: review of the gap between basic and clinical applications.

Curcumin, commonly called diferuloyl methane, is a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from rhizome (turmeric) of the herb Curcuma longa. Extensive research over the last half century has revealed important functions of curcumin. In vitro and in vivo research has shown various activities, such as anti-inflammatory, cytokines release, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, enhancing of the apoptotic process, and anti-angiogenic properties.

Identification of a novel KIR3DL1*072 allele by sequence-based typing.

We report a novel KIR3DL1*072 allele that was found using a sequence-based typing approach.

Cytokines levels, severity of acute mucositis and the need of PEG tube installation during chemo-radiation for head and neck cancer--a prospective pilot study.

Background: The purpose of this pilot study was to detect a correlation between serum cytokine levels and severity of mucositis, necessitating installation of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG) in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients receiving combined chemo-radiation therapy.

Patients And Methods: Fifteen patients with H&N epithelial cancer were recruited to this study. All patients received radiotherapy to the H&N region, with doses ranging from 50-70 Gy.

NK cells expressing inhibitory KIR for non-self-ligands remain tolerant in HLA-matched sibling stem cell transplantation.

Natural killer (NK)-cell alloreactivity in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell grafts from HLA-identical siblings is intriguing and has suggested breaking of NK-cell tolerance during the posttransplantation period. To examine this possibility, we analyzed clinical outcomes in a cohort of 105 patients with myeloid malignancies who received T cell-replete grafts from HLA-matched sibling donors. Presence of inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) for nonself HLA class I ligands had no effect on disease-free survival, incidence of relapse, or graft-versus-host disease.

Resonant pedestal pressure reduction induced by a thermal transport enhancement due to stochastic magnetic boundary layers in high temperature plasmas.

Good alignment of the magnetic field line pitch angle with the mode structure of an external resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) field is shown to induce modulation of the pedestal electron pressure p(e) in high confinement high rotation plasmas at the DIII-D tokamak with a shape similar to ITER, the next step tokamak experiment. This is caused by an edge safety factor q95 resonant enhancement of the thermal transport, while in contrast, the RMP induced particle pump out does not show a significant resonance. The measured p(e) reduction correlates to an increase in the modeled stochastic layer width during pitch angle variations matching results from resistive low rotation plasmas at the TEXTOR tokamak.

Neonatal long QT syndrome type 3 predicted by positive lidocaine challenge.

A female infant presented with bradycardia and an electrocardiogram demonstrating 2:1 atrioventricular depolarization, a prolonged QT interval, and T wave alternans. After propranolol therapy was initiated, a lidocaine challenge was performed with progressive shortening of the QT interval. This positive lidocaine challenge prompted clinical suspicion of long QT syndrome type 3 (LQT3) and early initiation of mexiletine therapy.

Lymphocyte recovery is a major determinant of outcome after matched unrelated myeloablative transplantation for myelogenous malignancies.

A higher absolute lymphocyte count 1 month (LC30) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with better outcome in patients transplanted from a matched sibling. We studied 102 SCT patients with unrelated donor and matched unrelated donors and the relationship between LC30 and outcome in patients with myelogenous leukemia. Conditioning was myeloablative using cyclophosphamide (Cy) with busulfan (Bu; n=61) or total body irradiation (TBI; n=41).

Toward improved cosmetic results: a novel technique for the placement of a pacemaker or internal cardioverter/defibrillator generators in the axilla of young patients.

Surgical scars secondary to the placement of pacemakers or internal cardioverter/defibrillators in the infraclavicular area can be unsightly. This report describes a novel cosmetic approach for the placement of pacemakers or internal cardioverter/defibrillators. The approach involves a small infraclavicular incision for placement of the leads and then a larger incision hidden high up in the axilla.

Supplemental control of lepidopterous pests on Bt transgenic sweet corn with biologically-based spray treatments.

Biologically-based spray treatments, including nucleopolyhedroviruses, neem, and spinosad, were evaluated as supplemental controls for the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), on transgenic sweet corn, Zea mays (L.