Severe oral chronic graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: highly effective treatment with topical tacrolimus.

Oral involvement of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a most distressing and disabling complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation, for which systemic immunosuppression as well as topical corticosteroid treatment may offer only limited symptomatic relief. Here we report encouraging preliminary results with the application of tacrolimus (FK-506) as a 0.1% ointment in three patients with severe oral chronic GvHD, heavily pretreated without success, who experienced rapid, consistent, complete or at least marked, subjective and objective improvement with topical tacrolimus.

Neuroendocrine response to casino gambling in problem gamblers.

Problematic gambling is thought to be influenced by neurobiological mechanisms. However, the neuroendocrine response to gambling is largely unknown. Therefore, the effect of casino gambling on the sympathoadrenal system, the HPA-axis, and pituitary hormones were analyzed.

A highly conserved interspecies V(H) in the human genome.

Idiotype conservation between human and mouse antibodies has been observed in association with various infectious and autoimmune diseases. We have isolated a human anti-idiotypic antibody to a mouse monoclonal anti-IgE antibody (BSW17) suggesting a conserved interspecies idiotype associated with an anti-IgE response. To find the homologue of BSW17 in the human genome we applied the guided selection strategy.

New azaphilones from the inedible mushroom Hypoxylon rubiginosum.

Fractionation of the methanol extract of the fruit bodies of the xylariaceus ascomycete Hypoxylon rubiginosum resulted in the isolation of three new azaphilone derivatives named rubiginosins A-C (1-3) and a new fatty acid named rubiginosic acid (4), together with three known compounds, entonaemin A (5), daldinin C (6), and orsellinic acid. Their structures were elucidated by 2D NMR, MS, IR, and UV spectra and chemical reaction. The absolute configuration of compound 3 was established by CD spectroscopy.

A cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analysis of an acute pain service.

Study Objective: To analyze, from a societal perspective, the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of acute pain management after inception of a nurse-based Acute Pain Service (APS) in a general hospital.

Design: Open, observational, interventional study.

Setting: Postanesthesia care unit and surgical wards of a university hospital center.

Cryptic species related to Daldinia concentrica and D. eschscholzii, with notes on D. bakeri.

Daldinia macaronesica (from the Canary Islands and Madeira), D. palmensis (from the Canary Islands), D. martinii and D.

Chemotaxonomy of Entonaema, Rhopalostroma and other Xylariaceae.

Entonaema, Pulveria, Phylacia, Rhopalostroma, Sarcoxylon and Thamnomyces are relatively small and poorly studied genera of Xylariaceae. Their affinities to the mainstream of the family largely remain to be evaluated. Secondary metabolite profiles of type materials, recently collected specimens, and cultures, were generated to address this problem from a chemotaxonomic point of view.

Cyclic azaphilones daldinins E and F from the ascomycete fungus Hypoxylon fuscum (Xylariaceae).

Phytochemical examination of the methanolic extract of fruit bodies of the Xylariaceous ascomycete fungus Hypoxylon fuscum led to the isolation of two azaphilone derivatives named daldinins E and F together with two known compounds daldinin C and 4,5,4',5'-tetrahydroxy-1:1'-binaphthyl using a combination of reversed phase HPLC and high performance gel permeation chromatography. Their structures were determined by 2D NMR, MS, IR, UV, and CD spectroscopy. Their antioxidative activities were also estimated by an indication of a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging effect.

A prospective, randomised, phase II study of horse antithymocyte globulin vs rabbit antithymocyte globulin as immune-modulating therapy in patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Immunosuppression has recently been proposed for low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to reverse bone marrow failure by inhibiting intramedullary secretion of proapoptotic cytokines. We treated 35 MDS patients (24 refractory anaemia (RA), 10 RA with excess blasts and one chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia) with either horse antithymocyte globulin 15 mg/kg/day or rabbit antithymocyte globulin 3.75 mg/kg/day, each for 5 days.

Comparison of different concentrations of levobupivacaine for post-operative epidural analgesia.

Background: The relative effects of the mass, volume and concentration of local anaesthetic solution used for epidural anaesthesia and analgesia are still under debate. Clinical studies have shown discrepancies, probably because of limited consideration of total dose.

Methods: This prospective, randomized and blinded study evaluated the spread, the quality of post-operative analgesia and the incidence of side-effects of continuous thoracic epidural levobupivacaine 15 mg/h in three different concentrations: 1.

Pochonins A-F, new antiviral and antiparasitic resorcylic acid lactones from Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata.

Monorden (1) and the novel resorcylic acid lactones pochonins A (2), B (4), C (6), D (7), and E (8) as well as tetrahydromonorden (5) and pseurotin A (22) were isolated from cultures of the clavicipitaceous hyphomycete Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata strain P 0297. Fermentation of P 0297 in bromide-containing culture media led to a shift in secondary metabolite production and yielded monocillins III (3) and II (9) as major metabolites besides monorden (1) as well as the novel compounds pochonin F (10) and a monocillin II glycoside (11) as minor metabolites.

Criminal Behavior Associated with Pathological Gambling.

The influence of addictive gambling behavior on criminal behavior was examined in this study. A sample of pathological gamblers from in- and outpatient treatment centers and self-help groups (n = 300) and a sample of high and low frequency gamblers from the general population and army (n = 274) completed a comprehensive questionnaire which assessed social attachment, personality, pathological gambling and criminal behavior variables. The causal analysis of a Lisrel Model leads to the following results: addictive gambling behavior is an important criminogenic factor.

Activities of prenylphenol derivatives from fruitbodies of Albatrellus spp. on the human and rat vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1) and characterisation of the novel natural product, confluentin.

Several prenylphenols from basidiocarps of European and Chinese Albatrellus spp., namely grifolin (1), neogrifolin (2), confluentin (3), scutigeral (4), and albaconol (5) were investigated concerning their activities in test models for vanilloid receptor modulation. The isolation of these compounds from A.

Allergenicity prediction by protein sequence.

Potential allergenicity of transgenic proteins for consumption must be investigated before their introduction into the food chain. A prerequisite is sequence analysis. We have critically reviewed the performance of the current guidelines proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for allergenicity prediction based on protein sequence and show that its precision is very low.

Optimization of a formulation containing viable lactic acid bacteria.

In the present study, gastric juice resistant tablet formulations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were developed, using hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) as well as alginates, apple pectin and Metolose as matrix forming components. To optimize the formulation-using survival rate in acid medium, and disintegration time in intestinal fluid as test parameters-tablets were modified with respect to LAB content, amount of applied excipients per tablet, and compaction forces. A decrease of viable cells of not more than one log unit after 2h of incubation in acid medium was desired, as well as a disintegration time of 1h in phosphate buffer pH 6.

Neuromagnetic correlates of perceived contrast in primary visual cortex.

When a target grating is flashed into a larger, surrounding grating, its contrast is perceived to be lower when both gratings are oriented collinearly rather than orthogonally. This effect can be used to dissociate the perceived contrast from the physical contrast of a target grating. We recorded the transient electric potentials and magnetic fields evoked by flashed target gratings and compared them with psychophysical judgments of perceived contrast.

Continuous epidural infusion of large concentration/small volume versus small concentration/large volume of levobupivacaine for postoperative analgesia.

Unlabelled: In this randomized study, we evaluated the quality of postoperative analgesia and the incidence of side effects of continuous thoracic epidural levobupivacaine 15 mg/h in 2 different concentrations: 0.5%, 3 mL/h (n = 33) or 0.15%, 10 mL/h (n = 27).

The emergence of a C/EBPalpha mutation in the clonal evolution of MDS towards secondary AML.

Recently, mutations in the transcription factor CCAAT/ enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) have been described in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We performed a mutational analysis of the C/EBPalpha gene in the myelodysplastic syndromes and AML with antecedent MDS. No mutations were found in patients with refractory anemia (0/27), refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (0/7), refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB 0/16) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML 0/5).

Altersetin, a new antibiotic from cultures of endophytic Alternaria spp. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, structure elucidation and biological activities.

A novel antibacterial antibiotic, for which the name altersetin is proposed, was isolated from the culture broth of two endophytic Alternaria species. The relative and absolute configuration were assigned by NOESY or CD data, respectively. Altersetin is chemically related to equisetin and showed potent MIC against several pathogenic gram-positive bacteria, whereas gram-negative bacteria and pathogenic yeast were not or much less susceptible.

An intervention study to enhance postoperative pain management.

Unlabelled: This study, conducted before and after the implementation of an acute pain service (APS) in a 1000-bed hospital, describes the process of the implementation of an APS. The nursing, anesthesia, and surgery departments were involved. In this study we sought to evaluate the results of a continuous quality improvement program by defining quality indicators and using quality tools.

Difference in risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Background: It is commonly stated that risk factors for postoperative nausea are the same as for vomiting. The authors designed a prospective study to identify and differentiate the risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting in various surgical populations in a clinical audit setting.

Methods: The study included 671 consecutive surgical inpatients, aged 15 yr or more, undergoing various procedures.

Chemical constituents of the ascomycete Daldinia concentrica.

Four compounds, daldinone A (1), daldinone B (2), daldiniapyrone (4-methoxy-5-carbomethoxy-6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one, 3), and daldinialanone (22R-hydroxylanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-3-one, 4), were isolated from an ethyl acetate extract of fruit bodies of Daldinia concentrica collected in Europe. In addition, 11 known compounds, 4:5:4':5'-tetrahydroxy-1:1'-binaphthyl (5), 3,4,5-trihydroxy-1-tetralone (6), (+)-orthosporin (7), curuilignan D (8), (22E)-cholesta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one (9), 3beta,22-dihydroxylanosta-7,9(11),24-triene (10), concentricol (11), concentricol B (12), concentricol C (13), concentricol D (14), and phenochalasin B (15), were obtained. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by 2D NMR, MS, IR, and UV spectra and by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Concentriols B, C and D, three squalene-type triterpenoids from the ascomycete Daldinia concentrica.

Three squalene-type triterpenoids named concentricols B, C and D (1-3) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of fruiting bodies of the xylariaceous ascomycete Daldinia concentrica. Their absolute structures were elucidated by analysis of 2D NMR, MS, IR and UV spectra, and the modified Mosher's method.

A layer-specific three-dimensional model for the simulation of balloon angioplasty using magnetic resonance imaging and mechanical testing.

A detailed understanding of the mechanical procedure of balloon angioplasty requires three-dimensional (3D) modeling and efficient numerical simulations. We have developed a 3D model for eight distinct arterial components associated with specific mechanical responses. The 3D geometrical model is based on in vitro magnetic resonance imaging of a human stenotic postmortem artery and is represented by nonuniform rational B-spline surfaces.

Mathematical modeling for breast cancer risk assessment. State of the art and role in medicine.

Women at increased risk of breast cancer have important opportunities for early detection and prevention. There are, however, serious drawbacks to the available interventions. The magnitude of breast cancer risk is a crucial factor in the optimization of medical benefit when considering the efficacy of risk-reduction methods, the adverse effects of intervention, and economic and quality-of-life outcomes.