Cholecystocholedocholithiasis: a case-control study comparing the short- and long-term outcomes for a "laparoscopy-first" attitude with the outcome for sequential treatment (systematic endoscopic sphincterotomy followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy).

Background: No unanimous consensus has been achieved regarding the ideal management of cholecystocholedocholithiasis. The treatment of gallbladder and common bile duct (CBD) stones may be achieved currently according to a two-step-protocol (endoscopic sphincterotomy associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy) or by a one-step laparoscopic procedure, including exploration of the CBD and cholecystectomy. Endoscopic sphincterotomy is reported to have considerable morbidity/mortality and CBD stone recurrence rates, whereas laparoscopic CBD clearance is a demanding procedure, which to date has not spread beyond specialized environments.

Exposure to second-hand smoke in primary health care centres in Catalonia, Spain (2006).

The aim of this study was to assess the exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) in 90 primary health care centres in Catalonia, Spain. We conducted a cross-sectional study between March and October 2006. We measured vapour-phase nicotine as a marker of SHS in main halls, staff rooms, direction areas, and continued care.

S6K1 deficiency protects against apoptosis in hepatocytes.

Unlabelled: The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/S6K1 signaling pathway controls cell growth and proliferation. To assess the importance of S6K1 in the balance between death and survival in the liver, we have generated immortalized hepatocyte cell lines from wild-type and S6K1-deficient (S6K1(-/-)) mice. In S6K1(-/-) hepatocytes, caspase-8 and the pro-apoptotic protein Bid were constitutively down-regulated as compared with wild-type.

Behavioural and cardiorespiratory effects of a constant rate infusion of medetomidine and morphine for sedation during standing laparoscopy in horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: Standing surgical procedures are performed commonly in horses under sedation. This approach minimises the morbidity/mortality risks associated with general anaesthesia. The use of a medetomidine and morphine combination has not been investigated in horses despite the usefulness of each drug individually.

Short-term anaesthesia with xylazine, diazepam/ketamine for castration in horses under field conditions: use of intravenous lidocaine.

Reasons For Performing Study: Lidocaine single boluses and/or constant rate infusions are commonly administered intraoperatively during inhalant anaesthesia to lower inhalant concentrations, promote or maintain gastrointestinal motility, and potentially supplement analgesia. The benefits of using lidocaine with injectable anaesthesia for field surgeries has not been fully explored to determine advantages and disadvantages of lidocaine as an anaesthetic and analgesic adjunct in these conditions and impact on recovery quality.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of systemic lidocaine with a standard field injectable anaesthetic protocol related to the need for additional drug administration as well as overall recovery score and quality.

Effect of remifentanil hydrochloride administered via constant rate infusion on the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane in cats.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of increasing doses of remifentanil hydrochloride administered via constant rate infusion (CRI) on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in cats.

Animals: 6 healthy adult cats.

Procedures: For each cat, 2 experiments were performed (2-week interval).

Evaluation of a multiresidue method for pesticides in cereals using supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatographic detection.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was evaluated to be applied for residue analysis of 22 gas chromatography/electron capture detector-nitrogen phosphorus detector (GC/ECD-NPD) amenable pesticides in rice, wild rice and wheat. Samples were extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide at 200 atm pressure and 50 degrees C temperature, using methanol as a static modifier. Mean recoveries obtained with the proposed SFE method at two spiking levels with four replicates per level are compared with those obtained with an ethyl acetate-based solvent extraction/gel permeation chromatography (GPC) clean up method.

Determination of cardiac output in anesthetized neonatal foals by use of two pulse wave analysis methods.

Objective: To compare cardiac output (CO) measured by lithium arterial pressure waveform analysis (PULSECO) and CO measured by transpulmonary pulse contour analysis (PICCO) in anesthetized foals, with CO measured by use of lithium dilution (LIDCO) considered the criterion-referenced standard.

Sample Population: 6 neonatal (1- to 4-day-old) foals that weighed 38 to 45 kg. Procedures-Foals were anesthetized and instrumented to measure direct blood pressure, heart rate, arterial blood gases, and CO.

A longitudinal study of two species of Belostoma Latreille (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae): allometry and ontogeny.

The multivariate allometric growth patterns from longitudinal data of leg and rostral segments of all instars of Belostoma elegans (Mayr) and B. cummingsi De Carlo are presented for the first time, and the allometric coefficients are compared. The segments of the middle and hind legs present allometric coefficients with opposite polarity to those of forelegs.

A short neuropsychologic and cognitive evaluation of frontotemporal dementia.

Objective: To elaborate a brief but efficient neuropsychological assessment of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), selecting the most specific and sensitive cognitive and behavioural items for distinguish between AD and FTD in the earlier dementia stages.

Methods: Retrospective study with three groups, 35 patients with FTD, 46 with AD and 36 normal subjects, were administered the MMSE, FAB, Tower of London and Stoop's test along with a 98 items behavioural and cognitive questionnaire. The most sensitive items were selected and validated internally for diagnosis by lineal discriminant analysis.

Fueling innovation in medical devices (and beyond): venture capital in health care.

Innovation in health care requires new ideas and the capital to develop and commercialize those ideas into products or services. The necessary capital is often "venture capital," but the link between public policy and the venture capital industry has not been well examined. In this paper we explore the link between venture capital and innovation in health care, and we present new descriptive data from a survey of health care venture capital fund managers.

Validation and uncertainty study of a comprehensive list of 160 pesticide residues in multi-class vegetables by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method, in electrospray ionization positive mode, has been developed for the determination of 160 selected multi-class pesticides over a 33-min run time. Extracts were obtained using the acetonitrile-based QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) sample preparation technique. The validation study was carried out on tomato, pear and orange matrices following DG SANCO/2007/3131 of the European Quality Control Guidelines.

Paenibacillus castaneae sp. nov., isolated from the phyllosphere of Castanea sativa Miller.

A bacterial strain, designated Ch-32(T), was isolated from the phyllosphere of Castanea sativa in Spain. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolate in the genus Paenibacillus within the same subgroup as Paenibacillus xinjiangensis and Paenibacillus glycanilyticus, with similarities of 96.3 and 96.

Revision of the taxonomic status of the species Rhizobium leguminosarum (Frank 1879) Frank 1889AL, Rhizobium phaseoli Dangeard 1926AL and Rhizobium trifolii Dangeard 1926AL. R. trifolii is a later synonym of R. leguminosarum. Reclassification of the strain R. leguminosarum DSM 30132 (=NCIMB 11478) as Rhizobium pisi sp. nov.

The taxonomic status of the species Rhizobium leguminosarum, Rhizobium trifolii and Rhizobium phaseoli was analysed in this study on the basis of their molecular and phenotypic characteristics. According to the results, the type strain R. phaseoli ATCC 14482(T) does not belong to any of the already described species of the genus Rhizobium and it should therefore be considered as a different species.

Epidural analgesia and anesthesia in dogs and cats.

Current knowledge of drugs administered epidurally has allowed an effective way of providing analgesia for a wide variety of conditions in veterinary patients. Proper selection of drugs and dosages can result in analgesia of specific segments of the spinal cord with minimal side effects. Epidural anesthesia is an alternative to general anesthesia with inhalation anesthetics, although the combination of both techniques is more common and allows for reduced doses of drugs used with each technique.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety for use of two sedation and analgesia protocols to facilitate assisted ventilation of healthy dogs.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness and safety of 2 sedative-analgesic protocols to facilitate assisted ventilation in healthy dogs.

Animals: 12 healthy dogs.

Procedures: Dogs were randomly assigned to 2 groups.

Comparison of the Sensititre YeastOne colorimetric antifungal panel with the modified Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute broth microdilution (M38-A) method for antifungal susceptibility testing of dermatophytes.

Background: To compare the susceptibility of different dermatophyte species to itraconazole (I), fluconazole (F) and voriconazole (V) by the modified reference (microdilution, CLSI M38-A) and the colorimetric method Sensititre YeastOne. The microdilution method is not very practical for use in routine susceptibility testing in the clinical laboratory, thus necessitating the use of other methods.

Methods: We studied a total of 46 dermatophyte strains isolated from clinical specimens.

Synthesis, antimalarial activity, and intracellular targets of MEFAS, a new hybrid compound derived from mefloquine and artesunate.

A new synthetic antimalarial drug, a salt derived from two antimalarial molecules, mefloquine (MQ) and artesunate (AS), here named MEFAS, has been tested for its pharmacological activity. Combinations of AS plus MQ hydrochloride are currently being used in areas with drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites; although AS clears parasitemia in shorter time periods than any other antimalarial drug, it does not cure infected patients; in addition, MQ causes side effects and is rather expensive, important problems considering that malaria affects mostly populations in poor countries. Here, we show that MEFAS is more effective than the combination of AS and MQ, tested in parallel at different mass proportions, against P.

Differential pathogenicity and genetic diversity among Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. carotovorum isolates from monocot and dicot hosts support early genomic divergence within this taxon.

The capability of Pectobacterium carotovorum isolates to infect monocotyledonous plants has been previously reported; however, no full consideration was given to characterize the association between such isolates and their monocot hosts. To assess differences in aggressiveness among P. carotovorum ssp.

High rate of intestinal colonization with extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing organisms in household contacts of infected community patients.

Fecal carriage of extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms was detected in 70% of index cases of patients (n = 40) with community-acquired infections due to ESBL producers and reached 16.7% in household contacts (n = 54). A total of 66% of ESBL-producing organisms from index cases were indistinguishable from isolates from household contacts by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

PTP1B deficiency increases glucose uptake in neonatal hepatocytes: involvement of IRA/GLUT2 complexes.

The contribution of the liver to glucose utilization is essential to maintain glucose homeostasis. Previous data from protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) 1B-deficient mice demonstrated that the liver is a major site for PTP1B action in the periphery. In this study, we have investigated the consequences of PTP1B deficiency in glucose uptake in hepatocytes from neonatal and adult mice.

Comparison of E-Test, disk diffusion and a modified CLSI broth microdilution (M 38-A) method for in vitro testing of itraconazole, fluconazole and voriconazole against dermatophytes.

We compared two agar-based methods, the E-test and the disk diffusion method with the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) reference broth microdilution method (CLSI M38-A; MD). Forty six dermatophytes strains including 30 Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 8 T. rubrum and 8 M.

Role of insulin receptor and balance in insulin receptor isoforms A and B in regulation of apoptosis in simian virus 40-immortalized neonatal hepatocytes.

We have investigated the unique role of the insulin receptor (IR) and the balance of its isoforms A and B in the regulation of apoptosis in simian virus 40 (SV40)-immortalized neonatal hepatocytes. Immortalized hepatocytes lacking (HIR KO) or expressing the entire IR (HIR LoxP), and cells expressing either IRA (HIR RecA) or IRB (HIR RecB) have been generated. IR deficiency in hepatocytes increases sensitivity to the withdrawal of growth factors, because these cells display an increase in reactive oxygen species, a decrease in Bcl-x(L), a rapid accumulation of nuclear Foxo1, and up-regulation of Bim.