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Background: Early bonding by skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is considered to be beneficial following vaginal delivery. Aim: We aimed to examine the impact of intraoperative bonding during caesarean section on maternal oxytocin levels, newborn feeding outcomes and maternal emotional wellbeing.Methods: We performed a prospective, randomized-controlled pilot study, which took place at a single academic tertiary hospital between September 2013 and January 2014. Pregnant women were recruited and randomly assigned to intraoperative (“early”) SCC (n=17) versus postoperative (“late”) SCC (n=18). We investigated maternal oxytocin levels, breastfeeding and newborn feeding outcomes as well as maternal emotional wellbeing.Findings: We found, that maternal oxytocin levels were comparable between the ‘Early SSC Group’ and the ‘Late SSC Group’ at each time point. Newborn drinking volume did not differ significantly on the second (p=0.213) and fourth (p=0.986) day after birth and the necessity of formula supplementation was similar in both groups (p=0.1). There were no significant differences in depressive symptoms and bonding behavior between the ‘Early SSC Group’ and the ‘Late SSC Group’. Discussion: Our study did not reveal significant differences regarding the investigated parameters. However, this needs to be further evaluated in a larger prospective randomized trial.Conclusion: Maternal oxytocin levels, breastfeeding and newborn feeding outcomes, and maternal emotional wellbeing seem to be unvaried by early SSC after caesarean section. TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov (10/07/2013; NCT01894880)review board approved the protocol (25-425 ex 12/13)

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and prognostic factors of definitive radiochemotherapy (RCT) for inoperable esophageal cancer. Between 1995 and 2005 all patients with inoperable esophageal cancer that underwent concurrent RCT were included in this retrospective study. Conventional computed tomography-based treatment planning as well as 3D-conformal radiotherapy (RT) was used. Maximum radiotherapy dose was 63 Gy. Chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin (20 mg/m(2) d1-5 and 29-33) and 5-FU (650-1000 mg/m(2) d1-5 and 29-33). Patients not suitable for RCT received radiotherapy alone. Toxicity was measured according to common toxicity criteria (CTC). Two hundred three consecutive patients with inoperable esophageal cancer that received definitive therapy were identified in this time period (160 with squamous cell carcinoma and 43 with adenocarcinoma). The 2-year overall survival probability was 21.2% whereas the progression-free survival at 2 years was 13.8% for all patients. In the univariate analysis, type of histology, T-stage, N-stage, application of chemotherapy, and the radiation dose were significantly correlated with overall/progression-free survival. Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed an independent prognostic impact for N-stage, radiation dose, and concurrent chemotherapy. Definitive RCT is an important palliative treatment option for patients with inoperable esophageal cancer. N-stage, radiation dose, and concurrent chemotherapy are important prognostic factors for survival.

When BHK or HTC cells are cultured for 20 min with [U-14C]glucose in the presence of agents that deplete reduced glutathione, DNA banded from the cells in cesium salt gradients containing guanidium HCl is radioactively labeled. This depletion-dependent labeling required live cells. It was not caused by reactive contaminants in the radioactive glucose preparations, by carbohydrate or protein comigration into the DNA band, or by metabolism of glucose into deoxyribose. Labeling levels are similar whether depletion is achieved by oxidation (with the drug diamide) or by inhibition of synthesis (with methionine sulfoximine). A temporal association between GSH repletion and the appearance of D-lactate, the putative unique product of GSH-dependent glyoxylase action on pyruvaldehyde, suggests possible involvement of 3-carbon dicarbonyls.

A 67-yr-old male status post right pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer who later developed an open right bronchial stump underwent a ventilation-perfusion lung scan because of episodes of recurrent dyspnea suspected to be due to pulmonary embolism. Xenon-133 ventilation images showed both rapid entry into and later washout of activity from the air-filled portion of the right thoracic cavity. A wide-open bronchial stump, documented both at bronchoscopy and later autopsy, allowed the xenon gas to freely wash out from the thoracic cavity, resulting in a different imaging pattern than for a typical bronchopleural fistula, which is usually characterized by prolonged trapping of radioactive gas within the pleural space.

Cultured autologous keratinocytes (CAK) have been used in eight patients as part of their definitive treatment for burn wound closure. The CAK grafts were placed on surgically excised wounds rather than mature granulation tissue. This technique guaranteed that permanent skin coverage derived from cultured cells, and not residual epidermal cells from surviving dermis. Graft take was variable, ranging from zero in the case of one of the children to 85%. Long-term assessment noted adequate permanent coverage, confirmed by biopsy. Electron micrographs demonstrated no well formed anchoring fibrils, which may account for the graft fragility which has been reported as much as 1 year postgraft. Advantages of using CAK are that an acceptable permanent wound closure can be achieved without depending on donor site availability. An almost unlimited quantity of skin is available because the original biopsy can be expanded manyfold in the laboratory.

We studied epidermal autografts placed on four severely burned patients. All of the patients experienced skin fragility in the autograft sites, and three of the four patients reported spontaneous blisters. Epidermal-dermal adherence was objectively examined in one patient by comparing suction blistering times in the autograft and in a parallel, control, unburned site. Blisters formed in the autograft at 17 minutes, and the cleavage plane of the blister was below the lamina densa of the basement membrane. In contrast, the normal skin blistered at 65 minutes and had a superficial cleavage plane, above the basal lamina. In all four patients, the reconstituted basement membrane zone beneath the autografts was incomplete and lacked type IV (basement membrane) collagen 7-S sites and anchoring fibrils. We conclude that skin fragility, apparent as late as seven months after transplantation, may result from defective anchoring fibrils.