Sociocultural aspects of drug dependency during early pregnancy and considerations for screening: Case studies of social networks and structural violence.

Objective: To contribute in closing the current gap in literature that holistically examines sociocultural influences on perinatal drug dependency. This article draws from social network theory and structural violence to qualitatively consider the contextual components of addiction and substance use during pregnancy, which purposefully moves away from situating this issue from solely being within the contexts of pathologized disorders or products of social inequalities.

Design: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews with drug-dependent pregnant women identified during a reproductive environmental health consultation.

Proposal for a revised definition of dilated cardiomyopathy, hypokinetic non-dilated cardiomyopathy, and its implications for clinical practice: a position statement of the ESC working group on myocardial and pericardial diseases.

In this paper the Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Disease proposes a revised definition of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in an attempt to bridge the gap between our recent understanding of the disease spectrum and its clinical presentation in relatives, which is key for early diagnosis and the institution of potential preventative measures. We also provide practical hints to identify subsets of the DCM syndrome where aetiology directed management has great clinical relevance.

Involvement of ferritin heavy chain in the preventive effect of metformin against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Doxorubicin is a wide-spectrum chemotherapeutic agent, although a cumulative dose may cause cardiac damage and lead to heart failure. Doxorubicin cardiotoxicity is dependent on the intracellular iron pool and manifests itself by increasing oxidative stress. Our group has recently shown the ability of metformin, an oral antidiabetic with cardiovascular benefits, to protect cardiomyocytes from doxorubicin-induced damage.

P2X7 receptor-stimulation causes fever via PGE2 and IL-1β release.

Prostaglandins (PGs) are important lipid mediators involved in the development of inflammatory associated pain and fever. PGE2 is a well-established endogenous pyrogen activated by proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β. P2X7 receptors (P2X7Rs) expressed by inflammatory cells are stimulated by the danger signal extracellular ATP to activate the inflammasome and release IL-1β.

β-trace protein and cystatin C as predictors of long-term outcomes in patients with acute heart failure.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic importance of novel markers of renal dysfunction among patients with acutely destabilized heart failure (ADHF).

Background: β-trace protein (BTP) and cystatin C are newer biomarkers for renal dysfunction; the prognostic importance of these tests, particularly BTP, relative to standard measures of renal function remains unclear.

Methods: A total of 220 consecutive hospitalized patients with ADHF were prospectively studied.

Kidney stones in a Mediterranean population from the south of Spain.

Background: Kidney stones have become increasingly prevalent in the developed countries over the past 100 years. The incidence of urolithiasis in a population depends on the geographical area, racial distribution, socio-economic status and dietary habits. During the past decades, these factors have changed affecting the incidence and also the chemical composition of calculi; nowadays in our region, the most common stones composition is calcium oxalate.

Observational study on markers of cardiovascular risk in renal patient: conventional hemodialysis vs. haemofiltration online.

Homocysteine is considered as independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. Patients treated with haemodialysis (HD) exhibit elevated homocysteine levels, even four times higher than the general population does. This study focuses on the determination of the vascular risk in patients treated with conventional HD and haemodiafiltration on-line (HDF).

Nosocomial candidemia at a general hospital: the change of epidemiological and clinical characteristics. A comparative study of 2 cohorts (1993-1998 versus 2002-2005).

Background: Nosocomial candidemia (NC) is associated with high mortality, increased hospital stay and greater economical cost.

Aims: To evaluate epidemiological and clinical aspects of 2 different cohorts of non-paediatric patients with NC.

Methods: A retrospective observational and comparative study of patients with NC.

Transcriptional regulation by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 during T cell activation.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests an important role for the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) as an integral part of the gene expression regulatory machinery during development and in response to specific cellular signals. PARP-1 might modulate gene expression through its catalytic activity leading to poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of nuclear proteins or by its physical association with relevant proteins. Recently, we have shown that PARP-1 is activated during T cell activation.

Cancer-associated differences in acetylcholinesterase activity in bronchial aspirates from patients with lung cancer.

In non-neuronal contexts, ACh (acetylcholine) is thought to be involved in the regulation of vital cell functions, such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and cell-cell interaction. In airways, most cells express the non-neuronal cholinergic system, each containing a specific set of components required for synthesis, signal transduction and ACh hydrolysis. The aim of the present study was determine the expression of cholinergic system components in bronchial aspirates from control subjects and patients with lung cancer.

Congenital dermal sinus associated with an abscessed intramedullary epidermoid cyst in a child: case report and review of the literature.

A 16-month-old male infant presented with paraparesis and a high thoracic skin dimple. After myelography the child underwent complete surgical removal of the dermal sinus and of an abscessed tumor located within the cervicothoracic cord. Histological study showed that the lesion was an intramedullary epidermoid cyst.

Macrocephaly, dystonia, and bilateral temporal arachnoid cysts: glutaric aciduria type 1.

Two siblings presented with macrocephaly, psychomotor delay, and progressive dystonia. The initial diagnosis was of hydrocephalus and bilateral temporal cerebrospinal fluid collections. Following ventriculoperitoneal shunting, the patients showed only modest neurological improvement.

Retrograde migration of the abdominal catheter as a complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts: the fishhook sign.

Three cases of retrograde migration of the distal catheter of ventriculoperitoneal shunts into the subcutaneous fibrous tract of the thoracic wall are reported. To the authors' knowledge this is the first time that this complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts has been described.

Occipital encephalocele associated with a dermoid cyst.

The case of a neonate with a dermoid cyst originating within an occipital encephalocele is reported. The finding of the tumor was made during the routine repair of the meningoencephalocele. To our knowledge this is the first time that this association has been described.

Atretic cephalocele: the tip of the iceberg.

Atretic cephalocele appears as an unimportant and benign lesion. This malformation consists of meningeal and vestigial tissues (arachnoid, glial, or central nervous system rests). The authors report the findings in 16 cases (seven parietal and nine occipital) of rudimentary cephaloceles.

Solitary eosinophilic granuloma of the pediatric skull and spine. The role of surgery.

Nine pediatric cases of solitary eosinophilic granuloma (EG) are reported. Six children harbored cranial lesions and three had spinal involvement. Plain radiographs and computed tomography scan were not always sufficient for diagnosis.