External trial deep brain stimulation device for the application of desynchronizing stimulation techniques.

In the past decade deep brain stimulation (DBS)-the application of electrical stimulation to specific target structures via implanted depth electrodes-has become the standard treatment for medically refractory Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. These diseases are characterized by pathological synchronized neuronal activity in particular brain areas. We present an external trial DBS device capable of administering effectively desynchronizing stimulation techniques developed with methods from nonlinear dynamics and statistical physics according to a model-based approach. These techniques exploit either stochastic phase resetting principles or complex delayed-feedback mechanisms. We explain how these methods are implemented into a safe and user-friendly device.

Inefficient delivery of yeast cells as an explanation for reduced plating efficiency of Candida albicans.

The plating efficiency for fungal yeast cells is usually less than that expected from microscopic counts, and a number of explanations for this phenomenon have been proposed. The present study was undertaken to explore possible reasons for reduced plating efficiency of Candida albicans. Explanations that we evaluated and found unlikely included: ineffectiveness of different culture media and/or incubation temperatures for growing colonies, insufficient area of the plate available for expression of individual colonies, production of microcolonies, and inaccurate counting of the organisms in the inoculum. An assay for delivery of the inoculum into tissue culture plate wells indicated that reduced delivery of the organisms accounted for lower than expected plating efficiency. C. albicans yeast cells grown under low glucose conditions and expected to have reduced adhesiveness were found to have higher values for both delivery and plating efficiency in our assays. In summary, our results indicate that reduced plating efficiency for C. albicans under the conditions used for these experiments is best explained by the loss of some yeast cells during preparation of the inocula or delivery of the yeast cells onto the plates.

Emergency redo mitral valve replacement in a 27-year-old pregnant female with a clotted prosthetic mitral valve, preoperative fetal demise and postoperative ventricular assist device: a case report.

A 27-year-old Laotian woman with a St Jude mechanical mitral valve became pregnant, requiring a change in her anticoagulant after the first trimester when her warfarin sodium (coumadin) was replaced with enoxaparin sodium (lovenox). Her prosthetic valve clotted and became dysfunctional. She was 16 weeks pregnant and was taken to the operating room for emergency surgery for replacement of the valve. The fetus had not been viable for 1-2 weeks, but still remained in utero. The clotted valve was replaced with another St Jude valve of a slightly smaller diameter (27 mm). The patient could not be weaned from bypass so a right ventricular assist device (RVAD) was inserted. The patient was weaned from the RVAD after 2 days of support. Two days following removal of the RVAD the fetus spontaneously aborted. The patient had a long, complicated hospital course and was discharged 3 months later. She subsequently died 4 months after discharge of a cerebral hemorrhage from excessive anticoagulation.

Veillonella parvula meningitis: case report and review of Veillonella infections.

Veillonella parvula is a small, nonfermentative anaerobic gram-negative coccus that is part of the normal flora of the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and vagina in humans. When isolated from clinical specimens, V. parvula is often regarded as a contaminant or commensal, but it has been implicated as a pathogen in infections of the sinuses, lungs, heart, bone, and central nervous system. Meningitis, however, is extremely rare; to our knowledge, only 2 cases have been previously described in the literature. We report a case of V. parvula meningitis and review the literature on Veillonella infections.

Pleuropulmonary and skeletal lymphangiomatosis with chylothorax and chylopericardium.

Congenital lymphangiomatosis of lung and bone, with or without chylothorax, is a rare but often fatal systemic lymphatic malformation. In those who survive infancy and early childhood, parietal pleurectomy with excision of lymphatic lakes and ligation of the thoracic duct can be successful. Two patients with lymphangiomatosis are described, 1 with chylothorax and chylopericardium with generalized skeletal lesions and the other with pleuropulmonary lesions and chylothorax. Both were successfully treated with parietal pleurectomy, excision of lymphatic lakes, and ligation of lymphatics, including the thoracic duct. To our knowledge, the triad of generalized skeletal lymphangiomatosis, chylopericardium, and chylothorax has not been previously reported.

Giant lymph node hyperplasia of the mediastinum (Castleman's disease).

Giant lymph node hyperplasia is a rare, benign disease involving lymph nodes in various locations, predominantly in the mediastinum. There are two variants: plasma cell (earlier and/or acute) and hyaline-vascular, more chronic with an intermediate transitional type. The usual presentation is a solitary well-circumscribed asymptomatic mass lesion, often attaining large size, with infrequent associated hematologic manifestations. A case of giant lymph node hyperplasia involving the paravertebral superior mediastinum is reported. Surgical excision was the treatment of choice in a 65-year-old man, and at thoractomy, an encapsulated mass was excised from the posterior superior mediastinum. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged on the tenth postoperative day. Three years later, he is well and employed as a carpenter.

Selection for feed efficiency in mice under AD libitum and restricted feeding terminated by fixed time or quantity of intake.

Mass selection for feed conversion efficiency (FCE) in mice was practiced for six generations in two lines fed ad libitum (AL) and two lines restricted to 80% of ad libitum (R). In one line of each pair of selected lines and test period was terminated after a fixed time (14 days) (TAL and TR) and in the second line of the pair after consumption of a fixed time (14 days) (TAL and TR) and in the second line of the pair after consumption of a fixed quantity of feed (WAL and WR). A random mating control line (C), also fed ad libitum was maintained throughout the study. Correlated traits measured were initial weight, final weight, weight gain, feed consumption and litter size. A significant response in FCE was found in the TR and WR lines, the regression of response on generation number being -1.36 +/- 0.31 and -1.09 +/- 0.39 respectively. There was a significant decrease in initial weight on test in the TR and WAL lines and in those lines mature body weight was significantly lower than in the C line when measured in the sixth generation. Heritability of FCE was higher in the restricted line (0.31 +/- 0.12 for TR and 0.37 +/- 0.29 for WR) than in the ad libitum lines (0.13 +/- 0.20 for TAL and 0.13 +/- 0.25 for WAL). Heritability of FCE was 0.17 +/- 0.31 in the C line. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between FCE and weight gain were high and negative in all lines. Progeny from each line were tested in each of the other feeding regimes each generation to measure lin X feeding regime interaction. This interaction was statistically significant.

Management of isolated blunt duodenal injury.

Five cases of duodenal injuries were treated in our hospital between January 1, 1975 and June 18, 1979. They belonged to the Class II and early Class III of duodenal injuries. They were treated with simple closure of the perforation in a single or double layer with external drainage. Only in one case were gastrojejunostomy and bilateral vagotomy added because the patient had a history of ulcer disease. The delay in operative treatment ranged between five and 48 hours. All responded well to the surgical treatment. In the instance of the longest operative delay, a purulent drainage occurred and it responded promptly to a selective antibiotic therapy. The average hospitalization stay was nine days for the patients operated upon early, whereas it was 15 days for the two delayed cases. No mortality was recorded.