4% versus 24 8%, P=0 012) but not for major cytogenetic responses

4% versus 24.8%, P=0.012) but not for major cytogenetic responses (49.1% versus 44.2%, P=0.462). The rate of major molecular responses was also significantly better at 3 and 6 months

in the high-dose arm (month 3: 14.9% versus 3.5%, P=0.003; month 6: 32.5% versus 8.8%, P < 0.001). Overall and progression-free survival rates were comparable between arms, but event-free survival was significantly worse in the high-dose arm (P=0.014).\n\nConclusions\n\nStandard-dose imatinib remains the standard of care for pre-treated patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00327262).”
“Early-onset multiple sclerosis (EOMS) is defined as the first presentation of symptoms in childhood (before the age of 16 years). EOMS occurs in about 0.4% to 10.5% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.\n\nIn this retrospective population-based this website study we aimed to describe the clinical/paraclinical details and frequency of epileptic seizures in Iranian EOMS patients registered with the Isfahan Multiple Sclerosis Society (IMSS) from April 2003 to July 2010. EOMS cases were extracted from the Isfahan total MS cohort and included 3522 patients.\n\nA total of 117 EOMS patients (19 males and 98 females) with a mean age at onset of 14.2 +/- 2.0 years (range: 7-16 years) were extracted from our database (3.3% of the total cohort). Of cases, ten (one male and nine females) had experienced at least two epileptic seizures, providing a crude

prevalence of 8.5%. The frequency of epilepsy in EOMS patients (8.5%, 10/117) was significantly greater check details (P < 0.001) than that of non-EOMS cohort (2.0%, 71/3405). Epileptic seizures occurred before MS onset in two patients, after MS onset in seven, and at MS onset in one as the presenting symptom of the disease.\n\nOur findings mostly indicate an excessive prevalence of epileptic seizures in Iranian EOMS patients (8.5%), which is higher than any other report concerning seizures or epileptic seizures in a large MS series.”
“A detailed HSP990 clinical trial evaluation of the kinetics of domino free radical photopolymerization

(DFRP) based on phototriggered base proliferation reaction and redox initiation was described in the condition of eliminating the heat of polymerization via reacting in the thin polymer films. First, domino photoinitiating system made a substantial breakthrough in the photoefficiency of amine generation in contrast to photocaged base system, exhibiting marked improvement in the photosensitivity. Second, both the structural feature of base amplifier (BA) and reaction temperature as two important factors impacting the proliferation rate have been detailed. Third, different domino photoinitiating components, such as BAs, peroxides, and acrylates, were investigated in the thin polymer films. It is shown that both primary and secondary BAs are efficient catalysts for DFRP. Furthermore, polymerization rate shows a consistent dependence on the pK(a) value of the proliferated amine.


“A novel combined catalyst of fumed silica (SiO2) with Ni2


“A novel combined catalyst of fumed silica (SiO2) with Ni2O3 was demonstrated to be more efficient than SiO2 or Ni2O3 alone in enhancing the char yield of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and improving its char layer structure, which greatly enhanced the flame retardancy of PLA. The results of field-emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the residual chars mainly consisted of block-like carbon and carbon nanotubes with MK2206 some surface functional groups. The

flame retardancy of PLA and its composites was studied by cone calorimeter test. The heat release rate and total heat release of PLA composites containing both SiO2 and Ni2O3 decreased significantly in comparison with those of neat PLA. The investigation of the Cyclosporin A synergetic mechanism showed that in the presence of both SiO2 and Ni2O3, a large amount of chars were in situ formed from the catalytic carbonization of degradation products of PLA by Ni2O3 during combustion.

This not only reduced the release of flammable degradation products, but also acted as an insulating barrier to prohibit the oxygen and feedback of heat from reaching the underlying substrate. On the other hand, the formation of a percolated network structure of SiO2 and Ni2O3 particles in PLA matrix increased the melt viscosity of PLA and facilitated the formation of a more compacted protective layer, which promoted the flame retardancy of PLA. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“PURPOSE. To determine how visual field loss as assessed by microperimetry is correlated with deficits in face recognition. METHODS. Twelve patients (age range, 26-70 years) with impaired visual sensitivity in the central visual field caused by a variety of pathologies and 12 normally sighted controls (control subject [CS] group; age range, 20-68 years) performed a face recognition buy FDA-approved Drug Library task for blurred

and unblurred faces. For patients, we assessed central visual field loss using microperimetry, fixation stability, Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity, and letter acuity. RESULTS. Patients were divided into two groups by microperimetry: a low vision (LV) group (n = 8) had impaired sensitivity at the anatomical fovea and/or poor fixation stability, whereas a low vision that excluded the fovea (LV: F) group (n = 4) was characterized by at least some residual foveal sensitivity but insensitivity in other retinal regions. The LV group performed worse than the other groups at all blur levels, whereas the performance of the LV: F group was not credibly different from that of the CS group. The performance of the CS and LV: F groups deteriorated as blur increased, whereas the LV group showed consistently poor performance regardless of blur.

Such decoration of the step sites results

in a change in

Such decoration of the step sites results

in a change in the CO adsorption behavior. An apparent blocking of step sites for low CO coverages is attributed to a change in the electronic structure, resulting in a C 1s binding energy of CO at step sites being equal to that for CO at terrace on-top sites in the presence of Ag. Higher CO coverages induce the formation of embedded Ag clusters AZD8186 within the upper terraces, thus freeing up a part of the original Pt step sites for CO adsorption, as was derived by a comparison to density functional theory calculations in the corresponding surface models.”
“Objective: To examine the prevalence of syphilis among patients attending the dental clinic of the Federal School of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu, Nigeria.\n\nMethodology: Venous blood samples randomly collected from 46 female and 54 male patients

were screened for antibodies to Treponema pallidum using syphilis ultra rapid test strip (ACON, USA).\n\nResults: The result Quisinostat molecular weight of the study showed that out of the 100 patients screened, 1% yielded positive for Treponema pallidum antibody.\n\nConclusion: While the occurrence rate was low, it nevertheless constitutes a viable source of occupational infection. The need for observance of standard precautionary measures by dental professionals and proper sterilization of instruments are emphasized.”
“A tetraplex PCR method was developed for simultaneous detection of Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus and V. mimicus in cockle samples in comparison with conventional culture method. Specific primers targeting ompW of V. cholerae, tl of V. parahaemolyticus, hsp60 of V. vulnificus and sodB of V. mimicus were employed in the same PCR. Detection limit of the tetraplex PCR assay was 104 cfu/ml (400 cfu/PCR reaction) for pure cultures of all four species of Vibrio. In Vibrio spiked cockle samples, the limit of detection after 6 hours enrichment in alkaline peptone water was 1 cfu/10 g of cockle tissue for

three Vibrio spp, except for V. mimicus that was 102 cfu/10 g of cockle tissue. When the tetraplex PCR and culture methods were Selleck MI-503 applied to 100 cockle samples, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. cholerae and V. mimicus were detected in 100, 98, 80 and 9% of the samples by tetraplex PCR and in 76, 42, 0 and 0% by the culture method, respectively. This developed tetraplex PCR method should be suitable for simultaneous and rapid detection of Vibrio species in food samples and for food safety assessment.”
“Immature fruits of cultivated species of Luffa are commonly used as summer vegetable in India. Rich morphological variability occurs in cultivated species of Luffa in different growing regions of the country. To study morphological variability in cultivated and wild Luffa from different agro-ecological regions of India, a total of seventy accessions were assembled.


“Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation and hist


“Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation and histone H3 lysine 27 methylation (H3K27me) are repressive marks that silence gene expression. The M phase phosphoprotein (MPP8) associates with proteins involved in both DNA methylation and histone modifications, and therefore, is a potential candidate to mediate crosstalk RSL3 research buy between repressive epigenetic pathways. Here, by performing immunohistochemical analyses we demonstrate that MPP8 is expressed in the rodent testis, especially in spermatocytes, suggesting a role in spermatogenesis. Interestingly, we found that MPP8 physically

interacts with PRC1 (Polycomb Repressive Complex 1) components which are known to possess essential function in testis development by modulating monoubiquitination of Histone H2A (uH2A) and trimethylation of Histone H3 Lysine 27 (H3K27me3)

residues. Knockdown analysis of MPP8 in HeLa cells resulted in derepression of a set of genes that are normally expressed in spermatogonia, spermatids and mature sperm, thereby indicating a role for this molecule in silencing testis-related MEK162 inhibitor genes in somatic cells. In addition, depletion of MPP8 in murine ES cells specifically induced expression of genes involved in mesoderm differentiation, such as Cdx2 and Brachyury even in the presence of LIF, which implicated that MPP8 might be required to repress differentiation associated genes during early development. Taken together, our results indicate that MPP8 could have a role for silencing genes that are associated with differentiation of the testis and the mesoderm by interacting with epigenetic repressors modules such as the PRCI complex. (C) selleck inhibitor 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“A

growing body of research illuminates the mechanisms through which racism and discrimination influence the health status of people of color. Much of the focus of this research, however, has been on individually mediated racism (i.e., acts of discrimination and racial bias committed by White individuals against people of color).\n\nYet research literature provides numerous examples of how racism operates not just at individual levels, but also at internalized, institutional, and structural levels. A more comprehensive model of the lived experience of race is needed that considers the cumulative, interactive effects of different forms of racism on health over the lifespan.\n\nSuch a model must facilitate an intersectional analysis to better understand the interaction of race with gender, socioeconomic status, geography, and other factors, and should consider the negative consequences of racism for Whites. (Am J Public Health. 2012;102: 933-935. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.

This study aimed to determine the main features of TBM cases in c

This study aimed to determine the main features of TBM cases in childhood and to evaluate the factors related to mortality, proving the protective effect of BCG vaccination in childhood TBM.\n\nMethods: In a retrospective approach, all consecutive cases of TBM in children that occurred between 1997 and 2005, at Dicle University Hospital, were studied. The following data were evaluated: demographic aspects, admission symptoms, radiology and laboratory findings, BCG vaccination status, tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity,

and mortality rates.\n\nResults: In total, 172 cases of childhood TBM were evaluated (mean age 53.3 +/- 55.7 months; 109 boys (63.4%)). The majority of these cases (70.4%) had typical TBM symptoms on admission. BCG vaccination data were available for 152 (88.4%) cases and 29 of them (19.1%) https://www.selleckchem.com/products/BafilomycinA1.html were positive. The TST was performed for 143 patients (83.1%) and 28 (19.6%) were found positive. Hydrocephalus was identified in 118 patients (68.6%) on computed tomography examination. A shunt was placed Aurora Kinase inhibitor in 79 cases (45.9%). In total, 24 patients (14.0%) died in the hospital. TST negativity was a significant factor for mortality (p = 0.012). BCG positivity was found to be a preventive factor from mortality (p = 0.05).\n\nConclusions: BCG vaccination is effective in the prevention of TBM-associated

mortality in childhood. TST negativity may be a sign of a poor prognosis in TBM cases. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of massage with or without kinesthetic stimulation on weight gain and length of hospital stay in the preterm infant.\n\nStudy Design: A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted evaluating the effects of massage with or without kinesthetic stimulation (KS) on weight gain and length LCL161 price of stay (LOS) in medically stable premature (< 1500 g and/or

<= 32 weeks gestational age) neonates. Infants were randomized either to receive no intervention (control), massage therapy alone (massage), or massage therapy with KS (M/KS). Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate differences in the primary outcomes between the groups after controlling for covariates. Post hoc analysis with stratification by birthweight (BW> and < 1000 g) was also performed.\n\nResult: A total of 60 premature infants were recruited for this study; 20 infants in each group. Average daily weight gain and LOS were similar between the groups after controlling for covariates. For infants with BW> 1000 g, average daily weight gain was increased in the intervention groups compared to control. This effect was mainly attributable to the M/KS group.\n\nConclusion: Massage with KS is a relatively simple and inexpensive intervention that can improve weight gain in selected preterm infants. Length of hospital stay is not impacted by massage with or without KS.

Ground-glass

Ground-glass Quizartinib concentration opacity-like lesions tended to increase in size over

the years, with so id parts appearing in some lesions during follow-up examinations. Bubble-like appearance displayed characteristic CT findings and tended to increase over the years from the time of initial diagnosis, and we therefore tended to consider them as old inflammatory lesions. Small nodules tended to increase in size over the months more rapidly than in other types. Scar-like lesions tended to exist mainly in the lungs already damaged by lung fibrosis and/or emphysema and therefore were difficult to detect on initial CT scans.\n\nConclusion: We categorized 4 types of initial findings of lung adenocarcinomas detected by CT We determined that each type of lesion had its own unique characteristic growth patterns and required varying follow-up periods.”
“Vesicular H+-ATPases and ClC-chloride transporters are described to acidify intracellular compartments, which also express the highly conserved Na+/H+ exchangers NHE6, NHE7, and NHE9. Mutations of these exchangers cause autism-spectrum disorders and neurodegeneration. NHE6, NHE7, see more and NHE9 are hypothesized to exchange cytosolic K+ for H+ and alkalinize vesicles, but this notion has remained untested in K+ because

their intracellular localization prevents functional measurements. Using protonkilling techniques, we selected a cell line that expresses wild-type NHE7 at the plasma membrane, enabling measurement of the exchanger’s transport parameters. We found that NHE7 transports Li+ and Na+, but not K+, is nonreversible in physiological conditions and is constitutively activated by cytosolic H+. Therefore, NHE7 acts

as a proton-loading transporter rather than a proton leak. NHE7 mediates an acidification of intracellular vesicles Z-VAD-FMK price that is additive to that of V-ATPases and that accelerates endocytosis. This study reveals an unexpected function for vesicular Na+/H+ exchangers and provides clues for understanding NHE-linked neurological disorders.”
“Background: It is well known that improving postoperative pain control in plastic surgery procedures leads to earlier mobilization, shortened hospital stay, reduced hospital costs, and increased patient satisfaction. Objective: The authors evaluate the use of abdominal field block injections with liposomal bupivicaine (Exparel; Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc, San Diego, California) in postoperative pain management in patients undergoing abdominoplasty with rectus plication. Methods: Case records from 64 female patients who underwent abdominoplasty with rectus plication were reviewed. We performed a total of 118 abdominoplasties with rectus plication, alone or in combination with other surgical procedures, from August 2012 to December 2012, but 54 patients were excluded from the series due to inadequate follow-up. Patients received liposomal bupivicaine injections in an abdominal field block fashion.

All the samples showed chiral smectic C mesophase when they were

All the samples showed chiral smectic C mesophase when they were heated. The glass transition temperature and mesophase-isotropic phase transition temperature of fluorinated elastomers increased slightly with increase of chiral crosslinking mesogens in the polymer systems, but the enthalpy changes of mesophase-isotropic phase transition decreased slightly. In XRD curves, all the samples exhibited strong sharp reflections at small angles suggesting smectic layered packing arrangement. These fluorinated chiral LCEs showed 0.1-0.2 mu C/cm(2) of spontaneous polarization with increasing chiral crosslinking component. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Objectives. – Different

ovarian stimulation protocols are used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in “poor responder” patients. Our work aims at comparing two ovarian stimulation protocols (long agonist half-dose protocol Selleck AS1842856 versus short agonist protocol without pretreatment) in this population of women.\n\nPatients

and methods. – This prospective, randomized study was realized at the University Hospital of Saint-Etienne Gamma-secretase inhibitor and concerns “poor responder” patients (age between 38 and 42 years and FSH at day 3 more than 9.5 IU/L; and/or antral follicles count less or equal to 6; and/or failure of previous stimulation). The primary endpoint is based on the number of oocytes retrieved at the end of an IVF cycle.\n\nResults. – Out of the 44 patients randomized, 39 cycles were taken into account (20 in the long protocol, 19 in the short one). At the

end of the stimulation (FSH-r 300 to 450 UI/d), the number of follicles recruited appears higher in the long protocol but the difference is not significant (diameter between 14 and 18 mm: 3.0 +/- 231 vs 1.88 +/- 1.89 and diameter greater than 18 mm: 3.9 +/- 2 85 vs 3.06 +/- 2.77). The same tendency is observed for all the following criteria: the number of retrieved oocytes (6.74 +/- 2.73 vs 6.38 +/- 4.26), the total number of embryos (3.16 +/- 2.03 vs 2.25 +/- 2.11), the pregnancy rate per retrieval (21% vs 19%) and per cycle (20% vs 16%), and the number Bafilomycin A1 clinical trial of children born alive.\n\nDiscussion and conclusion. – The study did not reveal any difference between the two protocols but the long half-dose seems to be better. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.”
“This study assessed the therapeutic effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on the backs of Polo ponies by measuring mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) and induced back movement. Twenty Polo ponies in regular training and competition were assigned to two groups. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover field study with PEMF was performed, consisting of two 10-day therapy periods. At the beginning and end of each therapy period, the MNTs from 25 sites of the horses backs were assessed by pressure algometry (PA), and induced back movement was evaluated by flexion testing. Baseline MNTs were generally low, with means between 6.4 and 10.0 kg/cm(2).

Besides heat pump dehumidifier (HP) and solar-assisted systems (S

Besides heat pump dehumidifier (HP) and solar-assisted systems (SAS) at the drying air speed of 2 m/s on average, natural drying (ND) was also used for drying experiments. Drying performance of HP was the best. In terms of drying time, HP was 50% better than ND and 30% better than SAS. The highest moisture extraction rate (MER) was 0.237 kg(w)/h in tomato quarters dried in HP, the lowest value was 0.125 kg(w)/h tomato quarters dried in ND.

The highest specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) (1.573 kg(w)/kWh) was found for tomato quarters dried in SAS while the lowest one (0.078 kg(w)/kWh) was for tomato halves dried in HP. In general, SMER values of tomato learn more quarters were higher than those of tomato halves dried under same conditions. Heat pump system presents great advantages for tomatoes such as faster drying speed, less influence by environmental factors (rain, dust, insects) and less dependence on environmental conditions.”
“Aim. The Multicentre Olmesartan atherosclerosis Regression Evaluation (MORE) study was a double-blind trial in patients with hypertension at increased cardiovascular risk with carotid wall thickening and a defined

atherosclerotic plaque that used non-invasive 2- and 3-dimensional (D) ultrasound (US), to compare the effects of a 2-year treatment URMC-099 based on either olmesartan medoxomil or atenolol on common carotid (CC) intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque volume (PV).\n\nMethods. A total of 165 patients (with systolic/diastolic blood pressure 140-180/90-105 mm Hg) were randomized to receive either olmesartan (20-40 mg/day) or atenolol (50-100 mg/day). US was performed at baseline and 28, 52 and 104 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome was the change from baseline (Delta) in CC-IMT assessed by 2D US. Secondary outcomes included Delta PV assessed by 3D US and blood pressure (BP).\n\nResults. Olmesartan and atenolol produced comparable significant reductions in CC-IMT; mean Delta IMT (SEM) was -0,090 (0,015) mm for olmesartan and

-0,082 (0,014) mm for atenolol. selleck Mean Delta PV was -4,4 (2,3) mu l and 0,1 (1,5) mu l in the olmesartan and atenolol treated subjects, respectively, without significant between-treatment differences. In the subgroup of patients with baseline PV >= median (33,7 mu l), significant between-treatment differences existed in Delta PV (p=0,023), because PV regressed significantly with olmesartan (Delta PV: -11,5 (4,4) mu l) but not with atenolol (Delta PV: 0,6 (2,5) mu l). In these patients BP reductions were comparable.\n\nConclusion. Carotid IMT and BP decreased similarly with olmesartan and atenolol, but only olmesartan reduced the volume of larger atherosclerotic plaques.”
“Background Adult anopheline mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. Some fish species eat mosquito larvae and pupae.

RESULTSPA significantly improved growth in academic motivatio

\n\nRESULTSPA significantly improved growth in academic motivation and mitigated disaffection with learning. There was a positive impact of PA on absenteeism and marginally significant impact on math performance of all students. There were favorable program effects on reading for African American boys and cohort students transitioning between grades 7 and 8, and on math for girls and low-income students.\n\nCONCLUSIONSA school-based SECD program was found to influence academic outcomes among students living in low-income, urban communities. Future research should examine mechanisms by which changes in SECD influence

changes in academic outcomes.”
“Nikkomycin Z (NikZ) is a chitin synthase inhibitor with activity phosphatase inhibitor against Coccidioides species that is being developed

as a first-in-class orphan product for treatment of coccidioidomycosis. It has previously been shown to reduce lethal respiratory infections in mice to undetectable levels when treatment is begun 48 hours after infection. The studies described here focus on bracketing NikZ doses for phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, using an established mouse respiratory infection as a model and starting treatment 120 hours after infection. A dose of 80 mg/kg/day, divided into 2 doses, nearly eradicated infection, and larger doses did not improve fungal clearance. Increasing the duration of treatment from 1 week to 3 weeks resulted in a greater percentage of culture-negative mice. Comparative data show that plasma levels of NikZ that selleck inhibitor nearly eradicate Coccidioides in mice are achievable in patients and provide a plausibly effective dose range for initial phase 2 clinical studies.”
“Background: The relation of food MK-2206 clinical trial insecurity (inability to acquire nutritionally adequate and safe foods) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown. We examined whether food insecurity

is associated with prevalent CKD among lower-income individuals in both the general US adult population and an urban population. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of lower-income participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2008 (n = 9,126) and the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study (n = 1,239). Food insecurity was defined based on questionnaires and CKD was defined by reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate or albuminuria; adjustment was performed with multivariable logistic regression. Results: In NHANES, the age-adjusted prevalence of CKD was 20.3, 17.6, and 15.7% for the high, marginal, and no food insecurity groups, respectively. Analyses adjusting for sociodemographics and smoking status revealed high food insecurity to be associated with greater odds of CKD only among participants with either diabetes (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.14-2.45 comparing high to no food insecurity groups) or hypertension (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.03-1.82). In HANDLS, the age-adjusted CKD prevalence was 5.9 and 4.

Both procedures are usually performed percutaneously with conside

Both procedures are usually performed percutaneously with considerable failure rates. A subpleural catheter placed in the space posterior to the parietal pleura and alongside the paravertebral area may provide superior postoperative pain relief.\n\nObjective To compare subpleural analgesia with thoracic epidural analgesia in patients undergoing thoracotomy.\n\nDesign Randomised, double-blind

study.\n\nSetting A tertiary care University Medical Centre between 26 June 2008 and 21 March 2011. Patients Forty-two patients scheduled for elective posterolateral thoracotomy.\n\nPatients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status >= 4, with a previous history of thoracotomy, on chronic pain medications or with a contraindication to receiving local anaesthetics or thoracic epidural block were excluded from the study.\n\nInterventions this website selleck screening library Patients were randomised to receive either subpleural analgesia or thoracic epidural analgesia for 24-h post-thoracotomy pain control.\n\nMain outcome measures A visual analogue scale was used to assess pain at rest and on coughing during the first 24 h postoperatively and the incidence of hypotension was recorded.\n\nResults Patients

who received subpleural analgesia had higher visual analogue scores at rest and on coughing than those who received thoracic epidural analgesia. Seven patients who started with subpleural analgesia were treated with thoracic epidural analgesia at a mean (SD) of 3.9 (4.8) h. The remaining 14 patients had a median (IQR [range]) visual analogue score of 5 cm (4-5 [3-6]) at rest and were maintained on subpleural analgesia until the end of the study. The visual analogue score at rest was < 7cm in all 21 patients who received

thoracic epidural analgesia and none was switched to subpleural analgesia during the study. None of the patients in the subpleural analgesia group experienced hypotension compared with five of the 21 patients in the thoracic epidural analgesia group (P = 0.047).\n\nConclusion Thoracic epidural analgesia is superior to subpleural analgesia in relieving Fer-1 post-thoracotomy pain. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2012; 29: 186-191″
“The conulariids, an enigmatic fossil group believed to be of cnidarian (scyphozoan) affinity, have four-sided, acutely pyramidal exoskeletons terminated in apertural closures. To date, three main closure types have been recognised in conulariids (plicated, triangular lappets, and lobate lappets) but the first type is poorly illustrated in the literature. Here we present the first photographic illustration of an unequivocal plicated closure in Metaconularia? anomala, based on study of the rich (1700+specimens) material from the Upper Ordovician of the Prague Basin. This closure is formed by inwardly folded, triangular lappets centred on each of the four faces, with kite-shaped elements centred on the four corners forming a webbing between the lappets.