Atrophic dermatofibroma accompanied by aneurysmatic characteristics

A 40-year-old man presented a painful haemorrhagic plaque on his chest in the same location where a nodular lesion had been presented for many years. After 2 months, the plaque was replaced by a depressed lesion. The lesion diagnosed as an anetoderma was excised and the biopsy showed an atrophic dermatofibroma accompanied by aneurysmatic characteristics.     

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome]

Sixteen patients (male: 14, female: 2, 41-72 yrs, mean 57.5 yrs) with OSAS were treated by nCPAP in our hospital since 1987. Respiratory disturbance index ranged from 16.5 to 83.1. The longest apnea duration was 35.0-120.5 seconds before the treatment. Two patients were treated with Sleep Easy III (Respironics Inc.) and others with a home made instruments. nCPAP was set at a pressure of 5 to 10 cm H2O. 12 patients (75%) tolerated the device but 4(25%) did not. Polysomnographic parameters before and after nCPAP therapy were compared. The longest apnea duration was 63.1 +/- 23.5 to 40.9 +/- 27.4 seconds (P less than 0.001) and the lowest saturation oxygen was 55.1 +/- 20.4% to 71.4 +/- 18.6% (P less than 0.05). The sleep structure improved but not significant statistically. One of them used nCPAP at home for more than two. years and showed a good long term effect. We concluded that nCPAP is an effective and safe treatment for OSAS. However, patients may be uncomfortable because of the wearing of the nasal mask during sleep.     

Quality of life and exercise performance in patients in sinus rhythm versus persistent atrial fibrillation: a Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program Substudy.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine quality of life (QOL) and exercise performance (EP) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) converted to sinus rhythm (SR) compared with those remaining in or reverting to AF. BACKGROUND: Restoration of SR in patients with AF improving QOL and EP remains controversial. METHODS: Patients with persistent AF were randomized double-blind to amiodarone, sotalol, or placebo. Those not achieving SR at day 28 were cardioverted and classified into SR or AF groups at 8 weeks (n = 624) and 1 year (n = 556). The QOL (SF-36), symptom checklist (SCL), specific activity scale (SAS), AF severity scale (AFSS), and EP were assessed. RESULTS: Favorable changes were seen in SR patients at 8 weeks in physical functioning (p < 0.001), physical role limitations (p = 0.03), general health (p = 0.002), and vitality (p < 0.001), and at 1 year in general health (p = 0.007) and social functioning (p = 0.02). Changes in the scores for SCL severity (p = 0.01), functional capacity (p = 0.003), and AFSS symptom burden (p < 0.001) at 8 weeks and in SCL severity (p < 0.01) and AF symptom burden (p < 0.001) at 1 year showed significant improvements in SR versus AF. Symptomatic patients were more likely to have improvement. The EP in SR versus AF was greater from baseline to 8 weeks (p = 0.01) and to 1 year (p = 0.02). The EP correlated with physical functioning and functional capacity except in the AF group at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with persistent AF, restoration and maintenance of SR was associated with improvements in QOL measures and EP. There was a strong correlation between QOL measures and EP.     

Effects of cerulenin on the endogenous fatty acid synthetic activity in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

PURPOSES: Inhibition of cerulenin on the endogenous fatty acid synthetic activities of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and normal oral mucosa was assayed. METHODS: Squamous cell carcinoma and normal oral mucosa were collected fresh from surgical specimens. The collected tissues were minced in RPMI 1640 and divided into 3 groups: cerulenin treated, dimethylsulfoxide treated, and control. The tissues were incubated in [1(2)-(14)C]acetic acid, sodium salt for the last 2.5 hours of the treatment at 37 degrees C in 5% CO(2). After labeling, total lipids were extracted and counted for (14)C by scintillation counting. RESULTS: Endogenous fatty acid synthetic activities of oral squamous cell caranoma in the cerulenin-treated group decreased by 19% at 1 hour, 64% at 2 hours, and 87% at 4 hours; remained nearly unchanged in the dimethylsulfoxide-treated group; and increased slightly in the control group. The oral mucosa tissues were only mildly affected by cerulenin in fatty acid synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Cerulenin significantly inhibits fatty acid synthetic activity in squamous cell carcinoma and only mildly affected the oral mucosa, indicating that the fatty acid synthetic pathway may be exploited as a target for developing anticancer drugs.     

高频超声引导定位前臂浅静脉穿刺

目的探讨高频超声引导定位穿刺前臂浅静脉的应用价值。方法对40例常规浅静脉穿刺失败，采用高频探头在同一体表区域寻找并标记浅静脉走行及深度，确认进针方向后再次静脉穿刺，必要时采用实时引导。结果11例经高频超声标记、29例经高频超声实时引导静脉穿刺均一次成功。结论高频超声引导下静脉穿刺的成功率高，无并发症，是一种简便有效的方法，值得在临床推广应用。     

Angiopoietin1/Tie2 and VEGF/Flk1 induced by MSC treatment amplifies angiogenesis and vascular stabilization after stroke.

Bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) increase vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and promote angiogenesis after stroke. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and its receptor Tie2 mediate vascular integrity and angiogenesis as does VEGF and its receptors. In this study, we tested whether MSC treatment of stroke increases Ang1/Tie2 expression, and whether Ang1/Tie2 with VEGF/ vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) (Flk1), in combination, induced by MSCs enhances angiogenesis and vascular integrity. Male Wistar rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) and treated with or without MSCs. Marrow stromal cell treatment significantly decreased blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage and increased Ang1, Tie2, and occludin (a tight junction protein) expression in the ischemic border compared with MCAo control. To further test the mechanisms of MSC-induced angiogenesis and vascular stabilization, cocultures of MSCs with mouse brain endothelial cells (MBECs) or astrocytes were performed. Supernatant derived from MSCs cocultured with MBECs significantly increased MBEC expression of Ang1/Tie2 and Flk1 compared with MBEC alone. Marrow stromal cells cocultured with astrocytes also significantly increased astrocyte VEGF and Ang1/Tie2 expression compared with astrocyte culture alone. Conditioned media from MSCs alone, and media from cocultures of MSCs with astrocytes or MBECs, all significantly increased capillary tube-like formation of MBEC compared with control Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium media. Inhibition of Flk1 and/or Ang1 significantly decreased MSC-induced MBEC tube formation. Knockdown of Tie2 expression in MBECs significantly inhibited MSC-induced tube formation. Our data indicate MSC treatment of stroke promotes angiogenesis and vascular stabilization, which is at least partially mediated by VEGF/Flk1 and Ang1/Tie2.     

Is the P300 deficit in alcoholism associated with early visual impairments (P100, N170)? An oddball paradigm

OBJECTIVE: Studies exploring chronic alcoholism with event-related potentials (ERPs) have shown delayed latency and reduced amplitude of the P300, a long-lasting positive potential reflecting decisional processing. This P300 deficit in alcoholism is generally interpreted as a disturbance in central nervous system inhibition or in memory/attention. The present study aimed at identifying if this electrophysiological deficit is already present on earlier components, and advances a new hypothesis concerning the interpretation of the P300 alteration. METHODS: Patients suffering from alcoholism and matched healthy controls had to detect, in an oddball paradigm, emotional faces among a succession of neutral faces. Behavioral performance and ERP data (recorded from 32 electrodes) were analyzed. RESULTS: In line with previous studies, data showed that alcoholism led to a P300 deficit. Moreover, we observed for the first time that this deficit begins at earlier visual (P100) and face-processing (N170) stages, and we found high positive correlations between P100, N170 and P300 for amplitude and latency values, suggesting cumulative deficits on the cognitive continuum. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the P300 deficit observed in chronic alcoholism could be linked to earlier visuo-spatial deficits rather than being an impairment of the specific processes linked to the P300. SIGNIFICANCE: These results call for reconsidering the interpretation of P300 impairments at a fundamental and clinical level, and shows that earlier ERP components must be taken into account in future studies.