Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Weldon.
The 1st recorded histological evidence of chytridiomycete fungal infection in a free-ranging ranid amphibian in South Africa is presented. Literature on causes of a worldwide decline in amphibian populations is briefly reviewed.
Smooth muscle neoplasms exist as a spectrum of pathologic processes ranging from benign leiomyoma to anaplastic leiomyosarcoma. Although these tumors typically occur in regions where there is an abundance of smooth muscle, they may also be derived from the muscularis of the gastrointestinal tract or the media of blood vessels. The majority of breast leiomyomas are contiguous with the muscular components of the nipple areolar complex. Strong, in 1913, is credited with the early descriptions of leiomyoma of the mammary gland. There have been relatively few reports of this entity since Strong's initial description. Smooth muscle neoplasms of the breast present unique clinical challenges for which therapeutic decisions are based on criteria extrapolated from the management of similar tumors at other sites. This report high-lights key clinical and pathologic findings in a postmenopausal woman with a discrete breast mass of benign smooth muscle histology.
To examine how fibers from functionally distinct cortical zones interrelate within their target areas of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) in the rhesus monkey, separate anterograde tracers were injected in two different regions of the same hemisphere known to project to the STS. Paired injections were placed in dorsal prearcuate cortex and the caudal inferior parietal lobule (IPL), interconnected regions that are part of a hypothesized distributed network concerned with visuospatial analysis or directed attention; in a presumed auditory region of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and in extrastriate visual cortex, the caudal IPL and lower rim of the intraparietal sulcus; and in dorsal prearcuate cortex and the STG. Overlapping and nonoverlapping projections were then examined in STS visual and polysensory areas. Prefrontal and parietal fibers directly overlapped extensively in area MST and all subdivisions of presumed polysensory cortex (areas TPOc, TPOi, and TPOr), although nonoverlapping connections were also found. Although STG and IPL fibers targeted all TPO subdivisions, connections were to nonoverlapping, but often adjacent, columns. Paired prefrontal and STG injections revealed largely nonoverlapping vertical columns of connections but substantial overlap within layers VI and I or areas TPOc and TPOi. The findings suggest that area TPO contains differently connected modules that may maintain at least initial segregation of visual versus auditory inputs. Other modules within area TPO receive directly converging input from the posterior parietal and the prefrontal cortices and may participate in a distributed cortical network concerned with visuospatial functions.
A multicenter study was conducted to test the efficacy and safety of fibrin sealant as a topical hemostatic agent in patients undergoing either reoperative cardiac surgery (redo) or emergency resternotomy. A total of 333 patients from 11 centers in the United States were included in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to initially receive the fibrin sealant or a conventional topical hemostatic agent when such was required during an operation. The end point used to evaluate the agent's efficacy was local hemostasis, the number of bleeding episodes controlled within 5 minutes. The fibrin sealant group from the prospective study was compared with historical matched control subjects for postoperative blood loss, need for resternotomy, blood products received, and hospital stay. It was also compared with historical nonmatched control subjects for the incidence of resternotomy and mortality. The results showed a 92.6% success rate for fibrin sealant in controlling bleeding within 5 minutes of application, compared with only a 12.4% success rate with conventional topical agents (p less than 0.001). Fibrin sealant also rapidly controlled 82.0% of those bleeding episodes not initially controlled by conventional agents. High-volume postoperative blood loss was significantly less (p less than 0.05) in the fibrin sealant group than in the matched controls. Additionally, resternotomy rates after redo operations were significantly lower in the fibrin sealant group (5.6%) than in the nonmatched historical control group (10%) (p less than 0.0089). There were no significant differences in hospital stay or blood products received between the fibrin sealant group and matched historical controls and no difference in mortality between the fibrin sealant group and nonmatched historical controls. There were no documented instances of adverse reactions, transmission of viral infection (hepatitis B, non-A/non-B hepatitis), or human immunodeficiency virus seroconversion. This study shows that fibrin sealant is safe and highly effective in controlling localized bleeding in cardiac operations. Fibrin sealant reduces postoperative blood loss and decreases the incidence of emergency resternotomy. These findings make fibrin sealant a valuable hemostatic agent in cardiac surgery.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.