Treatment of severe, disabling spasticity with continuous intrathecal baclofen therapy following acquired brain injury: the experience of a tertiary institution in Singapore.

Introduction: Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy is a proven, effective treatment for disabling cortical spasticity. We describe the first local series of five patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) who received ITB and were followed up for 63.8 months.

Mesenchymal stem cells-conditioned medium protects PC12 cells against 2,5-hexanedione-induced apoptosis via inhibiting mitochondria-dependent caspase 3 pathway.

Studies suggested that the conditioned medium of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-CM) inhibited the increased apoptosis in various cells. However, there are no reports underlying the protection of MSC-CM against 2,5-hexanedione (HD)-induced apoptosis in neural cells. In the present study, the viability was observed in PC12 cells that received HD alone or with MSC-CM by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay.

[Diagnostic value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in preoperative staging of gastric cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography using oral and intravenous contrast agents in preoperative staging of gastric cancer.

Methods: Sixty-two patients with biopsy-proven gastric cancer were enrolled into this study, and were examined by double contrast-enhanced gastric ultrasonography preoperatively. The results were compared with postoperative pathologic findings.