The occurrence of melatonin is known in nearly all organisms, but nothing is known exactly about its function outside of vertebrates. Long-term perifusions as well as short-term batch incubations of brains and moulting glands of the cockroach Periplaneta americana were used to identify the effect of melatonin on the release of prothoracicotropic hormone, a glandotropic neuropeptide in the brain, which stimulates the production of the moulting hormone ecdysone in the moulting gland. This is the first experimental evidence of a neurohormonal releasing effect of melatonin in the insect nervous system., Klaus Richter, Elmar Peschke, Dorothee Peschke, and Lit
Background: Few data are available on the specific care giving-related problems of stroke patient’s caregivers and factors that influence the burden of these caregivers. Aim: To study the influences of the active rehabilitation process on anxiety, depression, care burden and perceived social support level of stroke patients caregivers. Design: A prospective clinical trial. Setting: Patients and caregivers entering a rehabilitation program at a university hospital in Turkey. Populations: Ninety patients with a first episode of stroke and 90 caregivers responsible for their care were recruited for our study. Methods: Patients and caregivers were assessed before and after the active rehabilitation process. The functional disability level of the patients was assessed by Functional Independence Measure (FIM). The Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS) and the Beck Depression Scale (BDS) were used for anxiety and depression assessment, the Zarit Care Burden Scale (ZCBS) for care burden assessment and the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MDSPSS) for perceived social support assessment. Results: A statistically significant rise is observed in the special person sub-assessment of MDSPSS in both female and male caregivers. Also, a significant decrease in care burden, anxiety and depression levels of caregivers was noted after the rehabilitation program (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Caregivers accept the rehabilitation period as important social support in addition to the support provided by family and friends. Also, our positive results were associated with an improvement in the patients’ functional level and an increase in the acquisition of knowledge and skill required of caregivers in order to provide care during rehabilitation. Clinical Rehabilitation Impact: The rehabilitation team should be aware of the fact that the perceived care burden may be greater due to the lack of knowledge concerning available resources and due to the inability to cope with stress effectively. and A. Y. Karahan, S. Kucuksen, H. Yilmaz, A. Salli, T. Gungor, M. Sahin
Still's disease is an inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. First-line therapy is based on corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) but the frequency of relapses and corticosteroid-induced adverse events are limiting factors. The efficacy of intravenous tocilizumab (TCZ) has been shown at a dose of 8 mg/kg but the corticosteroid-sparing effect of intravenous low-dose TCZ followed by subcutaneous (SC) injection in the course of the disease has been poorly investigated. We report the case of a 28-year old Caucasian woman presenting a relapse of Still's disease eleven months after diagnosis under treatment with 6 mg of methylprednisolone. TCZ at a dose of 4 mg/kg every 2 weeks was combined with 32 mg of methylprednisolone, followed by 162 mg SC every 3 weeks. Evolution was rapidly favourable with a decrease in corticosteroid doses. We reviewed previously published cases. and X. Vandemergel, F. Vandergheynst
The present article describes two unrelated cases of progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME) of the Lafora's disease and Unverricht-Lundborg types who were treated with topiramate (TPM) as add-on therapy for their myoclonus. After the initiation of topiramate therapy both cases responded with marked decrease in myoclonic seizure frequency and improvement of quality of life. Topiramate appears to be a useful alternative agent in cases of PME and could be consider for adjunctive therapy. and CF. Demir, HH. Ozdemir, B. Müngen
BACKGROUND: A few reports demonstrate the occurrence of egg allergy in adolescent and adult patients suffering from atopic dermatitis and the association of this allergy to other food and aeroallergens. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the occurrence of egg allergy in patients suffering from atopic dermatitis at the age 14 years and older and to evaluate the relationship between egg allergy or egg sensitisation and the sensitisation to dust, mites, feather, and animal dander. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Complete dermatological and allergological examination was performed. These parameters were examined: food allergy and food sensitisation to egg white and yolk, to mites, animal dander (mixture), feather and dust. The statistical evaluation of the relations among egg allergy, egg sensitisation and sensitisation to mites, animal dander (mixture), feather and dust was performed. Two hundred and eighty eight patients were included in the study (90 men, 198 women, with the average age 25.2). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Egg allergy was recorded in 5% and egg sensitisation in 20% of patients; sensitisation to dust is recorded more often in patients with positive results in sIgE for egg white and/or yolk. and J. Čelakovská, K. Ettlerová, K. Ettler, J. Bukač
Female hybrids of the cross Chironomus t. thummi female × Ch. t. piger male which are largely affected by the sterility inducing Rud syndrome were backcrossed with males of both parental strains. The aim of the study was to provide information about those egg volumes that are insufficient for a normal embryogenesis and to ascertain whether in the hybrids the lethally small egg size represents a new abnormal trait of the Rud syndrome. The egg masses obtained contain eggs of very different sizes with volumes ranging from 0.5 nl to 3.49 nl. Embryo mortality is unusually frequent in those eggs of the backcrosses and of the parental strains that have volumes smaller than 1.5 nl. An egg volume of 1.5 nl represents in Ch. thummi the lower limit for those volumes that are sufficient for a normal embryogenesis. Mortality increases with decreasing egg size, reaching 100% in backcross eggs with volumes of 0.99 nl and smaller. Small egg size is a new trait of the Rud syndrome affected thummi female × piger male hybrids. This trait is part of a postzygotic reproductive isolation barrier between thummi and piger and manifests first in the backcrosses. Most backcross eggs show volumes between 1.5 nl and 2.99 nl. Within this volume range the amount of mortality does not depend upon egg volume. Here, embryo death is great in the backcrosses but normal in the parental strains. The high frequency of embryo death in the backcrosses must be predominantly due to the action of the Rud syndrome and a second hybrid syndrome, called HLE syndrome. Since further characteristic traits of these syndromes could be detected in surviving backcross individuals, the study demonstrates the occurrence of the syndromes in this generation also. Therefore, the postzygotic reproductive isolation mechanism of both hybrid syndromes is effective in the hybrids and in their progeny as well., Klaus Hägele, Monika Kasper-Sonnenberg, 4 obrázky, 2 tab., and Lit.
The half-popular compositions traditionally referred to as broadside ballads are a specific type of source. Some of them reflect Biblical, legendary and historical events in Egypt and the Near East. Although the factual importance of such ballads in not great, they have some informative value, because their texts mirror the attitudes and opinions of the lower social classes, in this case clearly influenced by the antithesis of Christianity and Islam, or also Judaism. They show that the authors of broadside ballads kept alive deep-rooted stereotypes, mainly the stereotype of Turks as pagans and tyrants. and Michal Klacek.
Cíl: Záměrem práce je analyzovat vztah mezi systolickou funkcí levé srdeční komory a velikostí srdečního stínu a podpořit nebo zamítnout názor, že nezvětšený srdeční stín predikuje u srdeční nedostatečnosti zachovanou ejekční frakci (EF). Metodika: Měřili jsme polárním planime-trem plochu srdečního stínu a zadopředního průmětu hrudníku u 100 kardiálně zdravých osob, u 100 kardiovaskulárně nemocných (KvN) se zachovanou EF (EF > 0,6) a u 100 osob se systolickou dysfunkcí (EF < 0,4). Velikost srdečního stínu jsme vyjadřovali kardiotorakálním poměrem v procentech (KTP%). KTP% udává, jakou část průmětu hrudníku v procentech zaujímá srdeční stín, a umožňuje spolehlivou kvantifikaci srdeční velikosti. Za horní mez normální velikosti srdečního stínu pokládáme pro účel tohoto sdělení KTP = 21%, tj. interval < 20,5-21,4% >. Výsledky a závěr: Průměrná velikost srdečního stínu byla u zdravých osob KTP = 17 %, u KvN se zachovanou EF KTP = 21 % a u osob se systolickou dysfunkcí KTP = 25 %. Srdeční velikost se ukázala být nedostatečně spolehlivým markerem systolické funkce. U osob se systolickou dysfunkcí jsme v 85 % naměřili zvětšený srdeční stín (85 % senzitivita), avšak v 15 % bylo u této skupiny srdce normální velikosti a mohlo být mylně pokládáno za srdeční stín osob se zachovanou EF. U KvN s EF > 0,6 jsme v 68 % naměřili nezvětšený srdeční stín (68% specificita). V 32 % jsme ale u pacientů této skupiny zjistili zvětšené srdce, jež mohlo budit podezření na poruchu systolické funkce. Ukazuje se tedy, že i porucha diastolického plnění levé komory může vést k srdečnímu zvětšení. Spolehlivou předpověď zachováné EF či systolické dysfunkce z velikostí srdečního stínu vyslovit nelze. Ke zlepšení predikce lze ale využít poznatek, že s narůstající hodnotou KTP% se plynule zvyšuje pravděpodobnost výskytu osob se systolickou dysfunkcí a klesá zastoupení KvN se zachovanou EE Při předpokládaném zhruba paritním zastoupení osob se systolickou dysfunkcí a KvN se zachovanou EF v populaci svědčí nezvětšený srdeční stín přibližně s 80 % pravděpodobností pro zachovanou EF a zvětšený zhruba se 70 % pravděpodobností pro systolickou dysfunkci., Aim: Intention of this article is to analyse the relation between systolic function of the left ventricle and of the heart shadow size and to support or to deny the opinion, that a normal sized heart shadow predicts in cardiovascular diseased persons a preserved ejection fraction (EF) of the left ventricle. Method: We measured by means of a polar planimeter the area of the heart shadow and of the frontal chest projection in 100 cardial healthy persons, in 100 cardiovascular diseased patiens with preserved systolic function (EF > 0.6) and in 100 persons with systolic dysfunction (EF < 0.4). The measured heart shadow area had been expressed by the cardiothoracic ratio (CTR%). The CTR% indicates, what percentual part of the thoracic area is occupied by the heart shadow and enables to quantify a possible heart enlargement.The highest size of an unenlarged heart shadow measured for purpose of this article CTR = 21%, i.e. Interval < 20.5-21.4% >. Results and conclusions: The ever-age heart shadow size measured in cardial healthy persons CTR = 17%, in cardiovascular diseased persons with preserved systolic function (EF > 0.6) CTR =21% and in patients with systolic dysfunction (EF < 0.4) CTR = 25%. The heart shadow size appeared to be an unreliable marker of systolic function of the left ventricle.The enlarged heart shadow had been found in 85% of persons with systolic dysfunction (85% sensitivity), but in 15% persons of this group there was an unenlarged heart shadow and demonstrated, that a normal sized heart does not exclude a systolic dysfunction. 68% of patients with preserved EF had a normal sized heart (68% specificity), but in 32% of this group there was an enlarged heart shadow and proved, that even a diastolic mechanism of heart failure may lead to a heart enlargement.The heart size frequency curves of both the types of cardiovascular diseased persons interfered mutually along the CTR% line in such a way, that the percentual amount of persons with systolic dysfuntion was continuously raising from CTR = 16% to CTR = 29%, whereas the occurence of patients with preserved EF was permanently sinking. In case of presupposed equal prevalence of cardiovascular diseased persons with preserved systolic function and those with systolic dysfunction may be awaited, that a normal sized heart shadow predicts a preserved EF with approximative 80% probability and an enlarged heart shadow allowes to presume a systolic dysfunction roughly in 70% of cases., Martin Mulač, and Literatura