Thoracic spinal anaesthesia for abdominal surgery in a humanitarian military field hospital: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Providing safe and effective anaesthesia in the context of humanitarian medicine is always a challenging situation. Spinal anaesthesia, and in particular its thoracic approach, represents a promising technique for such a limited-resource environment. This prospective observational study investigated the feasibility of thoracic spinal anaesthesia (TSA) for abdominal surgery in a field-deployed military hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included adults scheduled for elective open cholecystectomy in a field hospital. Patients received TSA at the T9-T10 level. The primary outcomes were the feasibility of surgery under TSA and the haemodynamic/respiratory stability of this anaesthetic technique. The secondary outcomes included patient satisfaction and surgeon comfort regarding the anaesthesia technique and postoperative events (nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, postdural puncture headache). RESULTS: Surgery was performed successfully in 61 patients under TSA (90% female, 53±13 years old). Intraoperative pain scores were low, with a median Numeric Rating Scale score of 0 (IQR 0-2). Surgeon and patient satisfaction scores were excellent. The haemodynamic and respiratory parameters remained stable throughout the surgery. The incidence of postoperative events was low (nausea/vomiting=8%). None of our patients presented with postdural puncture headache or urinary retention. CONCLUSION: TSA could be an effective anaesthetic technique for abdominal surgery in the context of a field hospital or austere environment.

A study of the electrical characteristics of a double plug probe aimed to the measurement of plasma fluctuations in a toroidal magnetized plasma.

We have analyzed the electrical characteristics of a plug probe as a function of the orientation relative to the local magnetic field. Our aim was to demonstrate that the probe characteristic, besides a better evaluation of the plasma potential, retains the capability to reliably estimate the electron temperature and density. This feature could be exploited with a multi-pin probe to measure simultaneously the fluctuations of all plasma parameters.

A multiple pin Langmuir probe for the measurement of the electric field drift and its spatial derivatives.

We discuss the measurement of the electric field drift (E→xB→ velocity) and its spatial derivatives in a low temperature magnetized plasma by means of a suitably arranged multi-pin Langmuir probe. Results are presented relating the properties of the velocity field and its electrostatic fluctuations. In particular, we have measured components of the non-linear terms in the fluid magnetohydrodynamics equation.

Note: Background Oriented Schlieren as a diagnostics for airflow control by plasma actuators.

Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) is an optical technique sensitive to the first spatial derivative of the refractive index inside a light-transmitting medium. Compared to other Schlieren-like techniques, BOS is more versatile and allows to capture bi-dimensional gradients rather than just one spatial component. We propose to adopt BOS for studying the capabilities of surface dielectric barrier discharges to work like plasma actuators in flow control applications. The characteristics of the BOS we implemented at this purpose are discussed, together with few results concerning the ionic wind produced by the discharge in absence of an external airflow.

Note: On the use of Rogowski coils as current probes for atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharges.

A wide bandwidth current probe based on a Rogowski coil was proposed to work down to the nanosecond time scale. It was then used to record the discharge current pulses that characterize the streamer regime of the plasma in a dielectric barrier discharge device. Indeed such plasmas are often made up of intermittent and highly localized structures such as streamers or microdischarges. Characteristics and performances of the probes are discussed together with a few results concerning their application to investigate dielectric barrier discharges and the temporal structure of different pulses of the electrical current.

Hydatid cyst of the rib: a new case and review of the literature.

The hydatid cyst is not rare in our country, but bone lesions are less common. The disease often takes the appearance of abscess or malignant lesion. We report a case of a 35-year-old man with a hydatid cyst of the rib complicated with cutaneous fistula. The surgery allowed both diagnosis and treatment. Albendazole was then administered to prevent relapse.

Analysis of posttransplant diabetes mellitus prevalence in a population of kidney transplant recipients.

AIM: The onset of posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) among kidney recipients is associated with an increased risk of graft failure and death. Minimizing the risk of PTDM is a priority for long-term improvement in survival rates. We sought to evaluate the prevalence of PTDM and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) among a population of kidney transplant recipients to identify the risk factors and to evaluate graft and patient survivals. METHODS: We analyzed 250 consecutive Caucasian patients who received kidney allografts in our center between May 2000 and December 2005, with a median follow-up of 32 months (range, 1-78 months). RESULTS: We observed altered glucose metabolism in 17% of patients; specifically, the prevalences of PTDM and IFG were 12.2% and 4.8%, respectively. Patients who developed PTDM or IFG were overweight (BMI, 26.4+/-3.4 and 28.1+/-3.4 kg/m(2), respectively), whereas the normal glucose (NG) group's BMI was 23.8+/-3.5 kg/m(2) (P= .002 and P= .004, respectively). Prevalence of acute rejection was higher in the PTDM and IFG patients compared with the NG patients (60.7%, 63.6%, and 32.1%, respectively; P= .006; P< .04), while no difference was observed in terms of graft and patient overall survival. CONCLUSION: In our series of patients, we showed that being overweight represents a major risk factor for the development of PTDM, which results in an increased acute rejection rate. These results confirmed the importance of appropriate weight control among patients undergoing kidney transplantation, which should also be strictly monitored for all risk factors associated with the development of impaired glucose metabolism.

Long-term outcome of renal transplantation from marginal donors.

Long-term survival of kidneys from suboptimal donors is known to be not as good as that from optimal ones. However, the shortage of donors has led many transplant centers to consider accepting older donors with comorbidities. We analyzed 238 patients who received deceased donor renal transplants in the period 2000-2005. The recipients were matched to be no more than 15 years older or younger than the corresponding donors. Among them 125 received a single and 18 a double transplantation from donors considered marginal, according to UNOS criteria for expanded criteria donor (ECD). Most kidneys were evaluated with a pretransplant biopsy, using the scoring system introduced by Karpinski in 1999. The analysis indicated clearly better results in the non-ECD group: both patients and graft survival rates were 10% higher at 1, 2, and 3 years. However, the ECD group showed satisfactory outcomes, confirming the utility of this procedure. The long-term survival rates of single or double grafts from marginal donors are satisfactory, confirming the practice of allocating kidneys after a preimplantation histological evaluation, allowing expansion of the donor pool and providing older patients access to the waiting lists.

Statistical analysis of correlations and intermittency of a turbulent rotating column in a magnetoplasma device.

A statistical analysis of density fluctuations in a cylindrical non-fusion device is performed. The experimental setup is implemented in order to reach a turbulent behavior of the linear plasma column. Two different turbulent regimes are obtained corresponding to two selected sets of values for the discharge parameters. The first regime displays a rotating column characterized by the presence of a shear layer separating the plasma bulk from the tenuous plasma in the shadow of the limiter, the latter showing a strong intermittent behavior and superdiffusion. The second regime corresponds to a weakly rotating column in which coherence is lost in the plasma bulk and a standard diffusive process takes place in the shadow region. These findings are supported by the calculation of the Hurst's exponent using wavelet-analysis techniques. Furthermore the intermittent behavior is characterized and related to the diffusive process. Finally the shape of the probability distribution function of density fluctuations seems to be well described by an analytical form suggested on the basis of Tsallis generalized statistics.

Cytomegalovirus infection with multiple colonic perforations in a renal transplant recipient.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) continues to be potentially the most important pathogen affecting organ transplant recipients. Severe gastrointestinal complications have been reported to occur in about 10% of renal transplant recipients, sometimes with dramatic presentations. We report the case of a 57-year-old CMV-seropositive woman with end-stage renal failure who developed CMV-related colonic multiple perforation 30 days after cadaveric CMV-positive renal transplantation. CMV pp65 antigenemia test and CMV-PCR had always been negative on all the weekly controls routinely performed in the postoperative period. Only after the sudden onset of this complication did the antigenemia and PCR become positive. The relationship between infection and perforation has been established beyond any doubt, as the histology of the resected colonic segment revealed florid CMV infection with evidence of typical inclusions in both macrophages and endothelial cells. Colonic perforations are often fatal in transplant recipients because of inability to contain the perforation, and only a rapid diagnosis and an aggressive surgical treatment can improve the prognosis.

Radial convection of plasma structures in a turbulent rotating magnetized-plasma column.

The turbulent regime of a rotating magnetized plasma column has been studied. The detection and the spatiotemporal analysis of structures by means of conditional sampling techniques is performed. Because of the overall rotation and centrifugal effects, the structures inside the turbulence move on average along a spiral trajectory leading to a net radial convection of the charged particles to the walls. The development of a poloidal electric field inside the structures has been measured. It leads to the observed outwards radial E x B drift in agreement with the expectations of recent theoretical works.

[Creation of an ongoing database on food inspections to improve the Food Service effectiveness]. / Implementazione di un database elettronico per la raccolta e l'elaborazione dei dati relativi ai sopralluoghi ispettivi del Servizio di Igiene degli Alimenti e della Nutrizione.

The purpose of the present study is to create a database for the collection and analysis of data related to the inspection program carried out by a Food and Nutrition Unit, Department of Health Services Milan 1. 1202 reports, stored in the archives of the Unit, were examined. On the basis of the results a computerised reporting form by Microsoft Access was created. The study confirms the necessity of a computerised recording system to point out the most common infractions and to standardise the work of operators. Moreover, on the basis of available data, food inspection activity can be more easily planned focusing on the actual local problems. The described system is a valid tool to store and analyse the information gathered from the inspections. Further implementations could make the database more informative.

Sensitivity to the abl inhibitor STI571 in fresh leukaemic cells obtained from chronic myelogenous leukaemia patients in different stages of disease.

STI571 (CGP57148B) is an inhibitor of BCR/ABL, the cause of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). A difference exists between CML patients in chronic phase, in which responses to STI571are durable, and patients in blast crisis, who generally experience only transient responses. Leukaemic cells from six CML patients from whom samples could be obtained during chronic phase and at the time of blast crisis (BC) were compared for sensitivity to STI571, using an in vitro assay. BC samples showed a sensitivity similar to that obtained during chronic phase, suggesting that no substantial intrinsic resistance to STI571 was present in BC.

Role of alpha1 acid glycoprotein in the in vivo resistance of human BCR-ABL(+) leukemic cells to the abl inhibitor STI571.

BACKGROUND: Chronic myeloid leukemia is caused by a chromosomal translocation that results in an oncogenic fusion protein, Bcr-Abl. Bcr-Abl is a tyrosine kinase whose activity is inhibited by the antineoplastic drug STI571. This drug can cure mice given an injection of human leukemic cells, but treatment ultimately fails in animals that have large tumors when treatment is initiated. We created a mouse model to explore the mechanism of resistance in vivo. METHODS Nude mice were injected with KU812 Bcr-Abl(+) human leukemic cells. After 1 day (no evident tumors), 8 days, or 15 days (tumors >1 g), mice were treated with STI571 (160 mg/kg every 8 hours). Cells recovered from relapsing animals were used for in vitro experiments. Statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Tumors regressed initially in all STI571-treated mice, but all mice treated 15 days after injection of tumor cells eventually relapsed. Relapsed animals did not respond to further STI571 treatment, and their Bcr-Abl kinase activity in vivo was not inhibited by STI571, despite high plasma concentrations of the drug. However, tumor cells from resistant animals were sensitive to STI571 in vitro, suggesting that a molecule in the plasma of relapsed animals may inactivate the drug. The plasma protein alpha1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) bound STI571 at physiologic concentrations in vitro and blocked the ability of STI571 to inhibit Bcr-Abl kinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Plasma AGP concentrations were strongly associated with tumor load. Erythromycin competed with STI571 for AGP binding. When animals bearing large tumors were treated with STI571 alone or with a combination of STI571 and erythromycin, greater tumor reductions and better long-term tumor-free survival (10 of 12 versus one of 13 at day 180; P:<.001) were observed after the combination treatment. CONCLUSION: AGP in the plasma of relapsed animals binds to STI571, preventing this compound from inhibiting the Bcr/Abl tyrosine kinase. Molecules such as erythromycin that compete with STI571 for binding to AGP may enhance the therapeutic potential of this drug.

Differential recognition of a BCR/ABL peptide by lymphocytes from normal donors and chronic myeloid leukemia patients.

The BCR/ABL oncogenic fusion protein transforms normal bone marrow stem cells into neoplastic cells. It has been shown that peptides derived from the junctional region of this oncogenic fusion protein can be recognized by human T-lymphocytes obtained from normal donors. In this study, we investigated the immunogenicity in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) of a 17 mer b3/a2 Bcr/abl peptide (B/A1), which was shown to induce proliferative responses in lymphocytes from normal donors. A total of 56 CML patients in chronic phase were studied. Twenty-two patients were studied at diagnosis without any treatment (group I). Fourteen patients were receiving IFN (group II), 14 patients were being treated with hydroxyurea (group III), and 6 patients were on different regimens (group IV). Patients were initially assessed for general immunological competence using both in vivo and in vitro assays. Patients were also selected for the expression of HLA-DR0401, the HLA specificity known to present peptide B/A1 to CD4 lymphocytes. With the exception of the six patients in group IV, the results of all these assays (in vitro phytohemagglutinin/tetanus toxoid responses, in vivo skin reaction to ubiquitous antigens) in CML patients did not significantly differ from those obtained in normal donors, thus excluding the presence of generalized immunosuppression. Eight patients with HLA-DR0401 and a b3/a2 type of fusion were identified and further studied. In these eight patients dendritic cells were obtained from adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells and used to stimulate CD4 lymphocytes. No patient developed a specific response to the bcr/abl peptide, although patients' lymphocytes proliferated in response to a promiscuous tetanus toxoid peptide in all but one case. In contrast, response to the bcr/abl peptide was observed in seven of eight HLA-DR0401 healthy donors tested. These data suggest that immunocompetent, HLA-DR0401+ CML patients are unable to respond to peptide B/A1, at difference from healthy donors. The implication of these results for the immunotherapy of CML is discussed.

Induction of resistance to the Abelson inhibitor STI571 in human leukemic cells through gene amplification.

The 2-phenylaminopyrimidine derivative STI571 has been shown to selectively inhibit the tyrosine kinase domain of the oncogenic bcr/abl fusion protein. The activity of this inhibitor has been demonstrated so far both in vitro with bcr/abl expressing cells derived from leukemic patients, and in vivo on nude mice inoculated with bcr/abl positive cells. Yet, no information is available on whether leukemic cells can develop resistance to bcr/abl inhibition. The human bcr/abl expressing cell line LAMA84 was cultured with increasing concentrations of STI571. After approximately 6 months of culture, a new cell line was obtained and named LAMA84R. This newly selected cell line showed an IC50 for the STI571 (1.0 microM) 10-fold higher than the IC50 (0.1 microM) of the parental sensitive cell line. Treatment with STI571 was shown to increase both the early and late apoptotic fraction in LAMA84 but not in LAMA84R. The induction of apoptosis in LAMA84 was associated with the activation of caspase 3-like activity, which did not develop in the resistant LAMA84R cell line. LAMA84R cells showed increased levels of bcr/abl protein and mRNA when compared to LAMA84 cells. FISH analysis with BCR- and ABL-specific probes in LAMA84R cells revealed the presence of a marker chromosome containing approximately 13 to 14 copies of the BCR/ABL gene. Thus, overexpression of the Bcr/Abl protein mediated through gene amplification is associated with and probably determines resistance of human leukemic cells to STI571 in vitro. (Blood. 2000;95:1758-1766)