Materials on the basis of cycloolefin copolymers (COC) are suitable for subchondral defect repairs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of surface modification of COC and COC/LLDPE blends on the viability and gene expression of chondrocytes. Human chondrocytes were incubated on the surface of the studied materials. Half of the materials were plasmatically modified with a subsequent type II collagen application. The gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1,-3,-13), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, TNF-alpha) and apoptotic molecules (BAX, Bcl-2) was evaluated using quantitative Taq-Man PCR after 48 h incubation. Chondrocyte viability was evaluated by the MTT test after 2, 4 and 8 days of incubation. The synthesis of MMPs was measured by ELISA assay in cell culture medium after 48 h of incubation. Chondrocytes incubated on plasmatically modified in contrast to unmodified materials demonstrated significantly increased gene expression of IL-1 (p<0.05), MMP-1 and MMP-3 (p<0.05 for both comparisons) as well as MMP-13 (p<0.001). Increased gene expression was confirmed by significantly increased production of active forms of particular MMPs into the cell culture medium. Unlike surface unmodified polymers, the modified materials showed timedependent reduction of chondrocyte viability. The gene expression of TNF-α and apoptotic molecules by chondrocytes was not significantly changed by different materials. Cycloolefin copolymers and their blends may represent suitable materials for tissue engineering, however, their surface modification followed by collagen type II application may, at least under in vitro conditions, reduce the viability of chondrocytes and induce their pro-destructive behavior. The potential benefit or disadvantage of surface modifications of materials for osteochondral defect repairs needs to be further elucidated., M. Polanská ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Brachylaimus fuscatus metacercaria develops unencysled in the terrestrial snail Ponsadenia duplocincta. For the first time in a larval stage of the genus Brachylaimus a distinctive surface structure has been observed. This structure of net-like interconnected ridges of the tegument was present on the whole body surface with the exception of the anterior part. Beside this structure scanning electron microscopy revealed five types of papillae. Three types, dome-like papillae, papillae with a finger-like process, and hollow papillae with a short cilium, were localized mainly in the suckers. Hollow papillae without a cilium were arranged in groups or singly around the ventral sucker and genital pore. Ribbed papillae were observed on the ventral body surface.
Interventions of paediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome are complex, varied and multidisciplinary. The goal of the treatment is to restore optimal breathing during the night and to relieve associated symptoms. Evidence suggests that the surgical intervention with removal of the tonsils and adenoids will lead to significant improvements in the most incomplicated cases, as recently reported from a meta-analysis. However, post-operative persistence of this syndrome in paediatric population is more frequent than expected, which supports the idea of the complexity of this syndrome. Adenotomy alone may not be sufficient in children with OSAS, because it does not address oropharyngeal obstruction secondary to tonsillar hyperplasia. Continuous positive airway pressure can effectively treat this syndrome in selected groups of children, improving both nocturnal and daytime symptoms, but poor adherence is a limiting factor. For this reason, CPAP is not recommended as first-line therapy for OSAS when adenotonsillectomy is an option. It is now being investigated the incorporation of nonsurgical approaches for milder forms and for residual OSAS after surgical intervention. Althought adeno-tonsillar hypertrophy is the most common for OSAS in children; obesity is emerging as an equally important etiological factor. Therefore an intensive weight reduction program and adequate sleep hygiene are also important lifestyle changes that may be very effective in mitigating the symptoms of this syndrome. Pharmacological therapy (leukotriene antagonists, topical nasal steroids) is usually use for mild forms of OSAS and in children with associated allergic diseases. Special orthodontic treatment and oropharyngeal exercises are a relatively new and promising alternative therapeutic modality used in selected groups of children with OSAS. and A. Šujanská, P. Ďurdík, J. Rabasco, O. Vitelli, N. Pietropaoli, M. P. Villa
Pacienti s nezvladatelnou chronickou obstipací by měli být vyšetřeni fyziologickými testy poté, co se vyloučí strukturální a mimostřevní příčiny. Je nutné nejprve vyčerpat veškeré možnosti konzervativní léčby. Mělo by se zdůraznit, že zejména nové léky, jako jsou prucaloprid a linaclotid, se zdají být velkým krokem vpřed v léčbě pacientů s chronickou obstipací. Pokud je indikovaný chirurgický výkon, mnoho let byla operací volby subtotální kolektomie s IRA, i když segmentální resekce jsou také dobrou volbou u izolovaných megasigmoidů, sigmoidokél či rekurentních sigmoideálních volvulů. V dnešní době by se měly nejprve vyzkoušet méně invazivní postupy, jako například modulace sakrálního nervu (SNM). Pokud je neúspěšná, dá se pak uvažovat o kolektomii. Všeobecně by se pacientům s poruchou motility gastrointestinálního traktu (gastrointestinal dysmotility syndrome- GID) nemělo nabízet chirurgické řešení z důvodu očekávaných špatných výsledků. Navíc pacienti s psychiatrickou poruchou by měli být aktivně odrazováni od resekce, protože mívají horší prognózu. Pacientům musí být vysvětleno, že bolesti anebo nadýmání budou pravděpodobně přetrvávat, i když chirurgický výkon znormalizuje počet stolic. Pacienti se souvisejícími potížemi mohou profitovat ze stomie bez resekčního výkonu jakožto léčebného výkonu i diagnostického pokusu. Kolektomie není volbou léčby pro bolest anebo nadýmání. Ve většině případů se dají poruchy vyprazdňování úspěšně léčit konzervativně. Nicméně v dnešní době existuje také široký výběr chirurgických řešení. Každá metoda má své místo v armamentáriu kolorektálního chirurga, ale jejich přesná role ještě není definována. Cílem této práce je nabídnout stručný přehled, jak diagnostikovat a léčit chronickou obstipaci z pohledu kolorektálního chirurga. Chirurgická léčba chronické obstipace není rutinní a provádí se jen ve výjimečných případech. Ale nejprve je nutno si říci, že tzv. „příliš dlouhé střevo“ (dolichocolon) není nikdy indikované k chirurgickému výkonu. Cílem této práce je prezentovat stručný přehled možných mechanismů obstipace, diagnostických metod a nástrojů a různé možnosti konzervativní a chirurgické léčby. Dále je nutné si vždy pamatovat, že obstipace nemusí být jen příznakem, ale může být i jiným onemocněním!, Patients with intractable chronic constipation should be evaluated with physiological tests after structural disorders and extracolonic causes have been excluded. Conservative treatment options should be tried unstintingly. It should be pointed out that especially new drugs such as prucalopride and linaclotide seem to be a big step forward in treating patients with chronic constipation. If surgery is indicated, for many years subtotal colectomy with IRA was the treatment of choice, although segmental resections were also a good option for isolated megasigmoid, sigmoidocele or recurrent sigmoid volvulus. Nowadays, less invasive procedures like sacral nerve modulation (SNM) should be tried first. If unsuccessful, colectomy can still be considered. In general, patients with a gastrointestinal dysmotility syndrome (GID) should not be offered any surgical options because of their anticipated poor results. Moreover, patients with psychiatric disorders should be actively discouraged from resection, as they tend to have a poorer prognosis. Patients must be counseled that pain and/or bloating will likely persist even if surgery normalizes bowel frequency. Patients with associated problems may be better served by having a stoma without resection as both a therapeutic maneuver and a diagnostic trial. Colectomy is not an option for the treatment of pain and/or abdominal bloating. In most cases outlet obstruction can be treated successfully with a conservative approach. However, nowadays there are also a variety of surgical options on the market. Each technique has its special place in the armamentarium of a colorectal surgeon but its exact role is not defined yet. The aim of this article is to give a brief overview, how to diagnose and treat chronic constipation from the standpoint of a colorectal surgeon. Surgical treatment of chronic constipation is not routine and is performed only in exceptional cases. But one thing first: a “too long gut” (dolichocolon) per se is never an indication for surgery. The aim of this manuscript is to give a brief overview about possible mechanisms of constipation, diagnostic methods and tools and the various conservative and operative treatment options. Moreover, please always keep in mind that constipation may not only be a symptom, but even a distinct disease!, and J. Pfeifer
Our case-based review focuses on limb salvage through operative management of Charcot neuroarthropathy of the diabetic foot. We describe a case, when a below-knee amputation was considered in a patient with chronic Charcot foot with a rocker-bottom deformity and chronic plantar ulceration. Conservative treatment failed. Targeted antibiotic therapy and operative management (Tendo-Achilles lengthening, resectional arthrodesis of Lisfranc and midtarsal joints, fixation with large-diameter axial screws, and plaster cast) were performed. On the basis of this case, we discuss options and drawbacks of surgical management. Our approach led to healing of the ulcer and correction of the deformity. Two years after surgery, we observed a significant improvement in patient's quality of life. Advanced diagnostic and imaging techniques, a better understanding of the biomechanics and biology of Charcot neuroarthropathy, and suitable osteosynthetic material enables diabetic limb salvage. and T. Kučera, P. Šponer, J. Šrot
We report results of a faunal survey of Aradidae flat bugs sampled by sifting litter in 14 wet and discrete Tanzanian primary forests (= Tanzanian Forest Archipelago, TFA) of different geological origins and ages. Images, locality data and, when available, DNA barcoding sequences of 300 Aradidae adults and nymphs forming the core of the herein analyzed data are publicly available online at dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-ARADTZ. Three Aradidae subfamilies and seven genera were recorded: Aneurinae (Paraneurus), Carventinae (Dundocoris) and Mezirinae (Afropictinus, Embuana, Linnavuoriessa, Neochelonoderus, Usumbaraia); the two latter subfamilies were also represented by specimens not assignable to nominal genera. Barring the six nominal species of Neochelonoderus and Afropictinus described earlier by us from these samples and representing 11 of the herein defined Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU), only one of the remaining 52 OTUs could be assigned to a named species; the remaining 51 OTUs (81%) represent unnamed species. Average diversity of Aradidae is 4.64 species per locality; diversity on the three geologically young volcanoes (Mts Hanang, Meru, Kilimanjaro) is significantly lower (1.33) than on the nine Eastern Arc Mountains (5.67) and in two lowland forests (5). Observed phylogeographic structure of Aradidae in TFA can be attributed to vicariance, while the depauperate fauna of Aradidae on geologically young Tanzanian volcanoes was likely formed anew by colonisation from nearby and geologically older forests., Vasily V. Grebennikov, Ernst Heiss., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Soil samples were collected from the whole territory of the Czech Republic, and the presence of entomopathogenic nematodes from the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae was evaluated by Galleria traps method. Of the 342 samples studied, 53.8% were positive for entomopathogenic nematodes with only one positive for the heterorhabditid, Heterorhabditis megidis Poinar, Jackson ct Klein. 1987. Of steinernematid species, Steinernema kraussei (Steiner, 1923), Steinernema felliae (Filipjev, 1934), Steinernema affine (Bovicn, 1937), Steinernema intermedium (Poinar, 1985), Steinernema bicornutum Tallosi, Peters et F.hlers, 1995, and Steinernema sp. belonging to “glaseri" group were recovered. With several exceptions the nematodes occurred in all the ecosystems, subecosystcms and habitats studied. They were more frequently found in samples from tree than open habitats, from light than heavy soil, and their incidence was ubiquitous, rather than patchy. Dependence of entomopathogenic nematodes on insect incidence seemed to be elementary for both their incidence and abundance. The sampling sites with moderate to severe insect abundance were 66.5 % positive for nematodes while those with slight or no visible insect abundance only 15 %.
Performance of the invasive horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimic, 1986 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), was studied on two host plants: the white-flowering horse-chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum L. and the Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra Willd. C. ohridella developed successfully on both host plants; however, mine density and survival were much higher on A. hippocastanum than on A. glabra. The pupal mass and potential fecundity were strongly affected by the host plant on which the larvae fed. On A. hippocastanum pupae were significantly heavier and females more fecund than those on A. glabra. Furthermore, on both host plants there was a significant positive correlation between the number of oocytes in ovaries and pupal body mass, and as a consequence, heavier females produced more eggs. Our study demonstrates that the mine density, survival, pupal mass and potential fecundity were significantly lower on A. glabra than on A. hippocastanum. The observed lower performance of C. ohridella on the exotic host plant was assumed to be due to its poor food quality (nutritional and chemical composition)., Urszula Walczak, Edward Baraniak, Piotr Zduniak., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Diabetic heart is suggested to exhibit either increased or decreased resistance to ischemic injury. Ischemic preconditioning suppresses arrhythmias in the normal heart, whereas relatively little is known about its effects in the diseased myocardium. Our objective was to investigate whether development of diabetes mellitus modifies the susceptibility to ischemia-induced arrhythmias and affects preconditioning in the rat heart. Following 1 and 9 weeks of streptozotocin-induced (45 mg/kg, i.v.) diabetes, the hearts were Langendorff-perfused at constant pressure of 70 mm Hg and subjected to test ischemia induced by 30 min occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Preconditioning consisted of one cycle of 5 min ischemia and 10 min reperfusion, prior to test ischemia. Susceptibility to ischemia-induced arrhythmias was lower in 1-week diabetics: only 42 % of diabetic hearts exhibited ventricular tachycardia (VT) and 16 % had short episodes of ventricular fibrillation (VF) as compared to VT 100 % and VF 70 % (including sustained VF 36 %) in the non-diabetics (P<0.05). Development of the disease was associated with an increased incidence of VT (VT 92 %, not significantly different from non-diabetics) and longer total duration of VT and VF at 9-weeks, as compared to 1-week diabetics. Preconditioning effectively suppressed arrhythmias in the normal hearts (VT 33 %, VF 0 %). However, it did not provide any additional antiarrhythmic protection in the acute diabetes. On the other hand, in the preconditioned 9-weeks diabetic hearts, the incidence of arrhythmias tended to decrease (VT 50 %, transient VF 10 %) and their severity was reduced. Diabetic rat hearts are thus less susceptible to ischemia-induced arrhythmias in the acute phase of the disease. Development of diabetes attenuates increased ischemic tolerance, however, diabetic hearts in the chronic phase can benefit more from ischem preconditioning, due to its persisting influence., T. Ravingerová, R. Štetka, D. Pancza, O. Uličná, A. Ziegelhöffer, J. Styk., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Suspenze přední poševní stěny spočívá v rekonstrukci nativní tkáně vaginální cestou. Cílem operace je korekce stresové močové inkontinence, k níž došlo v důsledku hypermobility močové trubice, a případně souvisejícího prolapsu přední poševní stěny jakéhokoli stupně. Ideálním kandidátem pro tento výkon je pacientka s laterální cystokélou (1. a 2. stadium). Operace může být indikována rovněž u pacientek s cystokélou závažnějšího stupně, v tomto případě je však nezbytná další rekonstrukce v podobě suspenze klenby poševní a korekce posteriorního kompartmentu (enterokéla, rektokéla). V našem článku popisujeme techniku rekonstrukce a uvádíme naše počáteční (dosud příznivé) zkušenosti. Operace je krátká (trvá přibližně jednu hodinu), je spojena s minimální morbiditou a nemá žádný vliv na mikční funkci. Operace neovlivňuje hloubku ani délku pochvy – po zhojení sutury se tedy pacientka může vrátit k sexuální aktivitě. Prof. Zimmern (UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA) prezentoval na poslední konferenci SUFU a AUA dlouhodobé výsledky po 15 letech., The anterior vaginal wall suspension is a native tissue repair procedure done vaginally to correct stress urinary incontinence secondary to urethral hypermobility and any associated degree of anterior vaginal wall compartment prolapse. The procedure is ideally suited for women with lateral defect cystocele (stages I and II). The procedure can be applied for more advanced degrees of cystocele, but additional repairs will be necessary including vault suspension and posterior compartment repairs (enterocele, rectocele). The technique of the procedure is reported herein, along with our early experience which has been favorable so far. The procedure is short (around one hour), with limited morbidity and no impact on voiding function. Vaginal depth and size are not compromised; so sexual activity can be resumed once the vaginal suture lines have healed. Long‑term data at 15 years has been reported at the last SUFU and AUA meetings by Dr Zimmern from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas., and Gulpinar O., Zimmern P.