Behavioral, metabolic, and lipidomic characterization of the 5xFADxTg30 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with both extracellular amyloid-ß (Aß) plaques and intracellular tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). We characterized the behavioral, metabolic and lipidomic phenotype of the 5xFADxTg30 mouse model which contains overexpression of both Aß and tau. Our results independently reproduce several phenotypic traits described previously for this model, while providing additional characterization. This model develops many aspects associated with AD including frailty, decreased survival, initiation of aspects of cognitive decline and alterations to specific lipid classes and molecular lipid species in the plasma and brain. Notably, some sex-specific differences exist in this model and motor impairment with aging in this model does compromise the utility of the model for some movement-based behavioral assessments of cognitive function. These findings provide a reference for individuals interested in using this model to understand the pathology associated with elevated Aß and tau or for testing potential therapeutics for the treatment of AD.

Clinician-performed abdominal sonography.

INTRODUCTION: Point-of-care ultrasonography is increasingly utilized across a wide variety of physician specialties. This imaging modality can be used to evaluate patients rapidly and accurately for a wide variety of pathologic conditions. METHODS: A literature search was performed for articles focused on clinician-performed ultrasonography for the diagnosis of appendicitis, gallbladder disease, small bowel obstruction, intussusception, and several types of renal pathology. The findings of this search were summarized including the imaging techniques utilized in these studies. CONCLUSION: Clinician performed point-of-care sonography is particularly well suited to abdominal applications. Future investigations may further confirm and extend its utility at the bedside.

Deficient fear recognition in regular cocaine users is not attributable to elevated impulsivity or conduct disorder prior to cocaine use.

We previously reported that regular recreational intranasal cocaine users exhibit impaired recognition of facial expressions of fear compared to occasional cocaine users and cocaine-naïve controls. The aim of the present study was to re-investigate this phenomenon after controlling for impulsivity, conduct disorder (CD) and anti-social personality disorder (ASPD). We employed a cross-sectional design to compare 31 cocaine-naïve participants, 35 occasional cocaine users and 20 regular recreational cocaine users. An emotional facial expression (EFE) task which comprised a male and a female face expressing six basic emotions morphed to differing degrees of emotional intensity was administered together with questionnaires to assess: CD, ASPD and impulsiveness. ASPD was not a significant covariate for EFE performance but impulsiveness and CD were significant covariates. After treating impulsiveness and CD as covariates we again observed a group difference in fear recognition ability attributable to the particularly impaired performance of regular cocaine users. This suggests that, although elevated impulsiveness and CD before the age of 15 years, may predispose a relative inability to recognize facial expressions of fear in adulthood, subsequent regular recreational use of cocaine represents an additional factor that is specifically associated with a selective deficit in fear recognition.

Disposition of nafcillin in patients with cirrhosis and extrahepatic biliary obstruction.

Nafcillin, a semisynthetic penicillin effective against penicillinase-producing staphylococci, is eliminated largely in man via the liver. This study assessed the effect of cirrhosis and extrahepatic biliary obstruction in man on the pharmacokinetics of nafcillin. The plasma clearance of nafcillin controls was 583 +/- 144.2 ml per min (mean +/- SD) and fell strikingly to 291 +/- 147.6 and 163 +/- 56.3 ml per min in patients with cirrhosis and extrahepatic obstruction, respectively (P less than 0.001). In the latter two groups nafcillin excreted in urine increased from about 30 to 50% of administered dose (P less than 0.02), suggesting that renal disease superimposed on hepatic disease would further decrease over-all nafcillin clearance. The depression of nafcillin clearance with hepatobiliary disease did not correlate with any conventional liver laboratory test. The initial volume of distribution of nafcillin (V1) was unaltered but at steady state (Vd()) there was a significant reduction in the distribution volume in the patients with liver disease. Accordingly, the impairment in drug elimination, as assessed by its clearance from plasma, was underestimated by the prolongation of the nafcillin elimination half-life (t1/2(beta)) which was 1.02 +/- 0.20 hr in controls, and 1.23 +/- 0.31 (P greater than 0.05) and 1.73 +/- 0.44 hr (P less than 0.03), respectively, in patients with cirrhosis and extrahepatic obstruction.

Gastric varices. Problem in diagnosis.

Gastric varices may appear in association with esophageal varices secondary to portal-hypertension or as an independent manifestation of splenic vein obstruction. Since gastric varices often manifest as radiologic filling defects in the gastric fundus or cardia, differentiation from tumors and many other diseases becomes imperative. Unfortunately, routine diagnostic pprocedures may be of limited value. The difficulties in the diagnosis of gastric varices are illustrated with three specific cases. Correct diagnosis is best established with the aid of endoscopy and such special procedures as celiac angiography or splenoportography. With the help of three cases, the characteristics of gastric varices are reviewed and their evaluation and management are outlined.

Systemic argyria secondary to topical silver nitrate.

A case of generalized argyria secondary to topical silver nitrate use on the oral mucosa is described, and the nature and history of argyria reviewed. The patient has extreme pigmentation of her skin and abdominal viscera, as seen on physical examination, gastroduodenoscopy, and laparotomy. Her use of silver nitrate applicators was uncontrolled by her dentist and pharmacist, and the diagnosis of argyria was not made until 2 1/2 years of heavy usage had passed. Avoidance of similar cases requires the careful scrutiny of silver-containing medicinal usage by all health practitioners and pharmacists. Although the systemic distribution of silver in both elemental and ionic forms can be linked with no systemic toxicity, the resultant pigmentation can be devastating to the patient.

Structure of mycobacterial bis-cyclopropane mycolates by mass spectrometry.

Methyl mycolate from a human strain (Brévannes) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been converted to the corresponding methyl neromycolate, the monketo-meromycolate, and the meromycolic pyrrolidide. The fragmentation pattern of each of these materials has been determined, and with information from a synthetic meromycolate serving as a basis of comparison, has been analyzed to obtain reliable structural assignments.