Current diagnosis and management of syringocele: a review.

Cowper's syringocele is a rare but an under-diagnosed cystic dilation of the Cowper's ducts and is increasingly being recognized in the adult population. Recent literature suggests that syringoceles be classified based on the configuration of the duct's orifice to the urethra, either open or closed, as this also allows the clinical presentations of 2 syringoceles to be divided, albeit with some overlap. Usually post-void dribbling, hematuria, or urethral discharge indicates open syringocele, while obstructive symptoms are associated with closed syringoceles.

Millisecond light pulses make mice stop running, then display prolonged sleep-like behavior in the absence of light.

Masking, measured as a decrease in nocturnal rodent wheel running, is a visual system response to rod/cone and retinal ganglion cell photoreception. Here, the authors show that a few milliseconds of light are sufficient to initiate masking, which continues for many minutes without additional photic stimulation. C57J/B6 mice were tested using flash stimuli previously shown to elicit large circadian rhythm phase shifts.

The role of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in renal disease.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a pivotal role in mediating cell size and mass, proliferation, and survival. mTOR has also emerged as an important modulator of several forms of renal disease. mTOR is activated after acute kidney injury and contributes to renal regeneration and repair.

Implementation of an OR efficiency program.

Perioperative efficiency is considered a hallmark for physician and patient satisfaction. An OR efficiency program was implemented in a hospital in the northeastern United States in 2005. After one year, improvements were seen in OR schedule adherence, room turnover time, and staff member consistency across all shifts.

Sonography for diagnosis of cervical ribs in children.

Objective: The purpose of this series was to describe the use of sonography for diagnosis of cervical ribs in children.

Methods: Two children had hard nonmobile supraclavicular masses that were of clinical concern for malignancy. Both children were first evaluated by sonography.

Recurrent rhabdomyolysis associated with polydipsia-induced hyponatremia - a case report and review of the literature.

Rhabdomyolysis involves the breakdown of muscle due to an inciting insult. It has been reported to have many etiologies. Some of the more common causes are trauma and medications.

The management of anterior dislocation of the shoulder with proximal humerus fracture, bony Bankart lesion, and associated glenoid labrum avulsion: a report of 2 cases.

Proximal humerus fractures are common in the older population. These fractures can be associated with dislocation of the shoulder. Four-part fracture-dislocations and head-splitting 3-part fractures are generally indicated for shoulder hemiarthroplasty in the older population.

Immediate influence of transcranial electrostimulation on pain and beta-endorphin blood levels: an active placebo-controlled study.

Background: Stimulation of the antinociceptive system by noninvasive electrical current from electrodes placed on the head is a renewed method of pain relief.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on 20 chronic back pain patients. They were treated with either transcranial electrostimulation (TCES) or an active placebo device.

Venous aneurysms of the wrist.

We describe 2 cases of primary atraumatic venous aneurysm affecting the wrist. Both aneurysms were in branches of the cephalic vein in close proximity to the radial artery. The definitive treatment for these venous aneurysms was surgical excision.

Educating medical students about law and the legal system.

The study of jurisprudence--law, legal reasoning, and the legal system--has become progressively more common in medical school curricula. Familiarity with jurisprudence helps physicians practice medicine well, collaborate productively with lawyers, and be more effective in public discourse about health care delivery. Moreover, the study of jurisprudence can help physicians polish the methods and clarify the purposes common to law and medicine.

The "steric blocking model," the "six-state model," and the ATPase activity of regulated actomyosin.

There has been a great deal of interest in the regulation of muscle contraction. Prior biochemical studies have demonstrated that the binding of regulated actin to S-1-ATP is unchanged at low Ca2+, even though the ATPase activity of regulated actomyosin is inhibited under these conditions. Prior structural studies using X-ray diffraction techniques have suggested that the tropomyosin-troponin complex may move and inhibit the actomyosin interaction at low Ca2+ (i.

Kinetics of the actomyosin ATPase. Four or six states?

Tesi et al. [(1990) FEBS Lett. 260, 229-232] use a misinterpretation of the four-state controversy as a springboard to this paper.