Cashmeran as a potential endocrine disrupting chemical: What does the weight-of-the-evidence indicate?

Cashmeran is a fragrance ingredient. Risk assessments are available but have not focused on its endocrine disruptor potential. The objective was to evaluate Cashmeran as a potential endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC).

Variability in patient characteristics and service provision of interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation: A study using the Swedish national quality registry for pain rehabilitation.

Objective: To describe the organization, content and dosage of interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation, and the differences in degree of severity of problems of patients admitted to clinical units reporting to a Swedish national quality pain registry, grouped according to unit size and possible affiliation with a university hospital.

Methods: Reports from 31 out of 39 clinical units in Sweden, on inclusion processes, organization, content and dosage of interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation, and patient-reported data from a Swedish national quality pain registry at assessment for interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation were analysed.

Results: the number of patients treated annually at each unit ranged from 3 to 340.

[Intraoperative video-angiography in surgery for spinal intramedullary cavernous malformations: first experience of its application at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Center].

Spinal intramedullary cavernous malformations are a rare vascular pathology of the central nervous system. They account for 3-5% of spinal cord diseases. The clinical picture in patients with cavernous malformations varies from an asymptomatic course to gross neurological deficit in the case of bleeding from a malformation.

[Monitoring of adverse event triggers as a tool for managing the medical care quality at a neurosurgical clinic. Invitation to the discussion].

Management of the healthcare quality and safety is one of the priorities of state policy for protecting health of Russian citizens. We describe modern technologies for managing the quality of medical care and patient safety based on a systematic approach. Potential applications of these technologies in neurosurgical practice are defined.

Return to Work 2-5 Years After Stroke: A Cross Sectional Study in a Hospital-Based Population.

Purpose To describe factors associated with RTW in patients 2-5 years after stroke. Methods Cross sectional study, including patients 2-5 years after hospitalization for a first-ever stroke, who were <65 years and had been gainfully employed before stroke. Patients completed a set of questionnaires on working status and educational level, physical functioning (Frenchay Activities Index, FAI), mental functioning (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS), Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced, (COPE easy) and quality of life (Short-Form(SF)-36 and EQ(Euroqol)-5D).

Hypoxia diminishes the detoxification of the environmental mutagen benzo[a]pyrene.

Hypoxia promotes genetic instability and is therefore an important factor in carcinogenesis. We have previously shown that activation of the hypoxia responsive transcription factor HIFα can enhance the mutagenic phenotype induced by the environmental mutagen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). To further elucidate the mechanism behind the ability of hypoxia to increase mutagenicity of carcinogens, we examined the activation and detoxification of BaP under hypoxic conditions.

Loss of VHL in RCC Reduces Repair and Alters Cellular Response to Benzo[a]pyrene.

Mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene occur in the majority of sporadic renal-cell carcinomas (RCC). Loss of VHL function is associated with stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIFα). We and others demonstrated that there is a two-way interaction between the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, which is an important mediator in the metabolic activation and detoxification of carcinogens, and the HIF1-pathway leading to an increased genetic instability when both pathways are simultaneously activated.

Genetic polymorphisms in catalase and CYP1B1 determine DNA adduct formation by benzo(a)pyrene ex vivo.

Genetic polymorphisms can partially explain the large inter-individual variation in DNA adduct levels following exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Effects of genetic polymorphisms on DNA adduct formation are difficult to assess in human studies because exposure misclassification attenuates underlying relationships. Conversely, ex vivo studies offer the advantage of controlled exposure settings, allowing the possibility to better elucidate genotype-phenotype relationships and gene-gene interactions.

Decreased nucleotide excision repair in steatotic livers associates with myeloperoxidase-immunoreactivity.

Chronic inflammation is characterized by the influx of neutrophils and is associated with an increased production of reactive oxygen species that can damage DNA. Oxidative DNA damage is generally thought to be involved in the increased risk of cancer in inflamed tissues. We previously demonstrated that activated neutrophil mediated oxidative stress results in a reduction in nucleotide excision repair (NER) capacity, which could further enhance mutagenesis.

Diminished carcinogen detoxification is a novel mechanism for hypoxia-inducible factor 1-mediated genetic instability.

The hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) pathway is induced in many tumors and associated with poorer outcome. The hypoxia-responsive transcription factor HIF-1alpha dimerizes with the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT), which is also an important binding partner for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). AhR is an important mediator in the metabolic activation and detoxification of carcinogens, such as the environmental pollutant benzo[a]pyrene (BaP).

Platelet adhesion and contact activation time tests on HEMA coated cellulose acetate membranes.

Surface modification of cellulose acetate dialysis membranes was carried out by 60Co radiation induced graft copolymerization of the hydrogel, hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The degree of grafting was controlled by varying the HEMA monomer concentration in the grafting solution and the radiation dose. A continuous flow platelet adhesion test was designed which allows testing under conditions more closely approximating hemodialysis than other small scale in vitro tests.