S. A. Thiryayi, J. Marshall and D. N. Rana An audit of liquid-based cervical cytology screening samples (ThinPrep and SurePath) reported as glandular neoplasiaObjectives: The aims of this study were to assess the number of cases diagnosed as glandular neoplasia (national report code 6) of cervical (6A) and non-cervical (6B) types on ThinPrep (TP) and SurePath (SP) liquid-based cytology (LBC) samples and to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV) of these diagnoses for significant glandular and/or squamous pathology for local audit and as a contribution to national data on glandular neoplasia. Methods: A computerized search identified all screening LBC samples reported as glandular neoplasia during the 24-month period from January 2006 to December 2007. Corresponding histology samples were identified, with a minimum follow-up period of 6 months for each case. Results: A total of 70 samples, representing 70 patients, were reported as glandular neoplasia, 39 TP (55.7%) and 31 SP (44.3%), with 46 samples (31 TP, 15 SP) reported as 6A and 24 samples (eight TP, 16 SP) as 6B. PPV of glandular neoplasia was calculated for a biopsy diagnosis of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia/adenocarcinoma and/or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 or worse. The PPV of 6A was 100% for both TP and SP. The PPV of 6B for adenocarcinoma was 62.5% for TP and 66.7% for SP. The combined PPV for 6A + 6B was 92.3% for TP, 83.3% for SP and 88.4% combined. The overall pick-up rates for the two methods were significantly different (TP 0.031%, SP 0.052%; P = 0.014). Histology showed only CIN3 with endocervical crypt involvement in nine TP cases and one SP case.

Generating new therapeutic hypotheses for human disease requires the analysis and interpretation of many different experimental datasets. Assembling a holistic picture of the current landscape of drug discovery activity remains a challenge, however, because of the lack of integration between biological, chemical and clinical resources. Although tools designed to tackle the interpretation of individual data types are abundant, systems that bring multiple elements together to directly enable decision making within drug discovery programmes are rare. In this article, we review the path that led to the development of a knowledge system to tackle this problem within our organization and highlight the influences of existing technologies on its development. Central to our approach is the use of visualization to better convey the overall meaning of an integrated set of data including disease association, druggability, competitor intelligence, genomics and text mining. Organizing such data along lines of therapeutic precedence creates clearly distinct 'zones' of pharmaceutical opportunity, ranging from small-molecule repurposing to biotherapeutic prospects and gene family exploitation. Mapping content in this way also provides a visual alerting mechanism that evaluates new evidence in the context of old and highlights significant changes, reducing information overload. In addition, we argue the need for more tools in this space and highlight the role that data standards, new technologies and increased collaboration might have in achieving this aim.

The Phoenix mission investigated patterned ground and weather in the northern arctic region of Mars for 5 months starting 25 May 2008 (solar longitude between 76.5 degrees and 148 degrees ). A shallow ice table was uncovered by the robotic arm in the center and edge of a nearby polygon at depths of 5 to 18 centimeters. In late summer, snowfall and frost blanketed the surface at night; H(2)O ice and vapor constantly interacted with the soil. The soil was alkaline (pH = 7.7) and contained CaCO(3), aqueous minerals, and salts up to several weight percent in the indurated surface soil. Their formation likely required the presence of water.

AIM: Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) has been associated with depression and a host of neuropsychiatric conditions including dementia. This study assessed the relationship between cerebrovascular findings reported on MRI brain scans and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and behavioural problems in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Medical notes were retrospectively reviewed in patients undergoing brain MRI following referral for cognitive impairment to a memory clinic between January 2004 and June 2008. Patients with AD were graded into four categories of CVD severity based on neuroradiology reports and assessed for behavioural and NPS and activities of daily living using Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Bristol Activities of Daily Living (BADL). Frontal lobe symptoms and parkinsonian features were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of the initial 232 patients who underwent MRI 72% were diagnosed with AD. 89% of AD patients had CVD findings reported on MRI. Moderate-to-severe CVD was present in 47% of patients. None of the AD patients satisfied a diagnosis of vascular dementia. There was no significant relationship observed between level of MRI CVD findings and scores on NPI (p = 0.57), GDS (p = 0.26) and BADL (p = 0.46). The level of CVD severity did not appear to influence frontal lobe and parkinsonian assessments (p = 0.60). CONCLUSION: The contribution of CVD to the pathogenesis of various NPS is still debated. Our study, based on patients diagnosed with AD in a memory clinic setting, suggests that there is no relationship between the extent of CVD pathology and neuropsychiatric and behavioural measures in AD patients. Further prospective quantitative studies are needed to assess the role of CVD, if any, in neuropsychiatric and behavioural symptoms in AD. It is possible that the relatively small pathological contribution of CVD to the development of these symptoms is obscured by the effect of the wider neurodegeneration encountered in AD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Human growth hormone (hGH) is seen as a doping risk in sport because of its possible anabolic and lipolytic effects. As a result of this hGH is prohibited for athletes to use both in and out-of-competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) requiring Anti-Doping Organisations to work with research teams in identifying ways to detect hGH abuse. APPROACH: This paper reviews and discusses the UK Sport perspective on the challenges faced in detecting hGH and in particular draws upon the experiences gained during the collaborative efforts with the GH-2004 research team in achieving the implementation of the Marker Method for hGH detection. CONCLUSIONS: In 2008 significant progress has been made; there is one test for detecting HGH approved for use in anti-doping and a second detection method pending. This is a strong reflection of the ongoing research efforts in anti-doping and the progress being made by the Anti-Doping Organisations in reducing the risk that doping poses to sport.

Abstract Purpose: To determine the accuracy of distance autorefractions obtained by two 'open field' devices, the Tracey Visual Function Analyzer and the Shin-Nippon NVision-K 5001, by comparison with subjective refraction. Methods: Both eyes of 50 healthy phakic participants underwent subjective refraction. Autorefractions were then performed on undilated pupils using the Tracey and a modified Shin-Nippon autorefractor and these were repeated within 50 days. Agreement with subjective refraction was calculated for sphere, mean spherical equivalent (MSE) and cylindrical vectors J(0) and J(45). Intratest and intertest variability were also evaluated. Results: The mean age of the participants was 37.4 years. Subjective refraction MSE ranged from -6.25 D to +3.62 D, mean -0.49 D +/- 1.79 D. Bias between subjective refraction and Tracey was -0.001 D,+0.045 D,+0.017 D, and -0.015 D for sphere, MSE, J(0) and J(45) respectively; these were not significant. Bias between subjective refraction and Shin-Nippon was +0.004 D,+0.033 D,+0.106 D, and -0.021 D; only the J(0) vector was significantly different (p < 0.0001) although this difference was small. Intratest variability for Tracey was low, measured at 0.189 D for sphere and 0.178 for MSE, and for the Shin-Nippon 0.099 D and 0.086 D respectively. Tracey intertest variability revealed small, statistically significant bias for sphere and MSE (+0.071 D and +0.070 D, p = 0.011, 0.013). Shin-Nippon reproducibility showed no significant bias. Conclusions: Autorefraction measurements captured by both the Tracey and Shin-Nippon devices agree well with subjective refraction. The Shin-Nippon shows lower intratest variability.

A method is described for the direct determination of copper in urine at normal (10-30 mug l .) levels by carbon-furnace atomic-emission spectrometry. Wavelength modulation is used to achieve automatic background correction for scatter-signals produced by the furnace and matrix. The accuracy of the method has been assessed by comparison with continuum-source atomic-fluorescence and carbon-furnace atomic-absorption methods. Relative standard deviations of about 4-5% can be achieved for either the platform or probe atomization techniques.

Abstract The efficacy and tolerability of a marbofloxacin-clotrimazole-dexamethasone otic suspension (MCD) was compared with a standard topical treatment using a phase III clinical trial protocol. In a total of 140 dogs with clinical signs of acute or subacute otitis externa, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Enterobacteriaceae and Malassezia were isolated from samples taken at inclusion to identify the causative pathogen; a further sample was collected in the event of failure or relapse, and from dogs (at day 14) for which Pseudomonas species had been isolated at inclusion. One group received MCD (10 drops per affected ear) once daily and a second received Surolan(R)(containing polymyxin B, miconazole and prednisolone)(5 drops per affected ear), twice daily. Each group received treatment for 7 or 14 days according to the clinical outcome on day 7. Efficacy and tolerability were evaluated on days 7, 14 and, if necessary, 28 for dogs treated for 14 days. The trial demonstrated equivalence of both treatments in terms of efficacy, with a cure rate of 58.3% for MCD and 41.2% for Surolan(R). Both medications were equally well tolerated by dogs, but MCD was superior in terms of pain relief, decrease in pus quantity and smell, response rate and investigator's assessment on day 14.

Idiopathic nodular panniculitis is a condition characterized by the recurrent appearance of inflammatory nodules in the subcutaneous fat. In this report, an infant affected with Niemann-Pick disease and recurrent lobular panniculitis is described and discussed.

OBJECTIVE: To compare efficacy of 2% ketoconazole cream with 1% hydrocortisone cream in the treatment of infantile seborrheic dermatitis (ISD). This study recruited infants of 2 weeks to 2 years old with a clinical diagnosis of infantile seborrheic at the Department of Pediatrics, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital from December 2001 to November 2003. METHOD: The severity of the rash of the patients was examined in terms of erythema, scale and crust before treatment based on a scoring system comparing two sides (left and right) of the lesion with numeral representation for it a severity, namely: Ofor no lesion; 1, mild; 2, moderate; and 3, severe. They were treated with 2% ketoconazole cream on the left side of the lesion and 1% hydrocortisone cream on the right side of the lesion, twice a day. RESULTS: The responses of treatment of 2% ketoconazole cream compared with 1% hydrocortisone cream in 48 patients had no statistical significant difference at 2-3 days of treatment and 4-7 days of treatment. By one week, both 2% ketoconazole cream and 1% hydrocortisone cream have significant clinical improvement of the lesion. The skin lesions were cleared in 31% of the ketoconazole group and 35% of the hydrocortisone group. All skin lesions were cleared by the end of the second week. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of 2% ketoconazole cream and 1% hydrocortisone cream in the treatment of ISD was not significantly different. Ketoconazole is another option for the treatment of ISD, to avoid the side effects of topical corticosteroid in long-term use and on large surface area of treatment.

The role of Demodex folliculorum in perioral dermatitis is not satisfactory explained. Our purpose was to assess the density of D. folliculorum in perioral dermatitis and evaluate the relationship of the mite count to previous therapy with topical steroids. A standardized skin surface biopsy of the chin was performed in 82 female patients with perioral dermatitis and in 70 control female subjects. Patients who received previous topical steroid therapy had a significantly higher mite density than the patients who had received no topical steroids (p<0.001). In the latter group of patients, the mite density did not differ significantly from that of the control group (p=0.629). Mite density increased significantly with the length of treatment with topical steroids (p<0.001). Our results suggest that increased density of D. folliculorum in perioral dermatitis is a secondary phenomenon, associated with topical steroid therapy.

In this study, the efficacy of aglepristone and/or intrauterine antibiotic administration for the treatment of bitches with cystic endometrial hyperplasia/pyometra complex was investigated. Twenty-four bitches (5-12 years old) with the diagnosis of pyometra were treated at the University of Kafkas and at Istanbul University. The diagnosis of pyometra was established on the basis of the results of clinical, ultrasonographic and vaginal examinations, the haematological and biochemical findings and the history data. In Group I (n = 13), aglepristone (Antiprogestin, Alizine, Virbac, France; 0.33 ml/kg, s.c.) was administered on days 1, 2, 7, and 14 (day 1: diagnosis). In Group II (n = 11), intrauterine antibiotic treatment was performed according to the antibiogram on days 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 in addition to aglepristone given as in Group I. Clinical and ultrasonographic examinations, haematological results and occurrence of oestrous cycles revealed that the ratio of effectively treated bitches was 6/13 and 9/11 in Groups I and II, respectively.

Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease among children in industrialized countries. The prevalence is recorded to be up to 20% in children. Phototherapy with ultraviolet B (UVB) is an effective form of treatment with a low complication rate. Here we report on a patient with atopic dermatitis who underwent UVB treatment to the facial area including the eyelids and who developed severe keratitis with facial erythema. The symptoms diminished within a few days under topical steroid treatment. Although phototherapy seems to be a safe treatment procedure for atopic dermatitis, patients undergoing UVB treatment should be informed about possible side effects if the eyes are not fully closed during treatment. The use of protective eye shields should be considered, since UVB might induce long-term corneal damage and early onset of cataract.

The efficacy of a topical preparation containing 0.5% fusidic acid and 0.1% betamethasone-17-valerate was compared to a systemic therapy (comprising a combination of parenteral dexamethasone and oral clavulanate-potentiated amoxycillin) in the treatment of 104 dogs with acute moist dermatitis. Significant improvement was evident after seven days in both treatment groups in all clinical parameters assessed and there was no significant difference in the overall response between the two treatment groups. Staphylococcus intermedius was the most frequently isolated organism from swabs at the first visit (Day 0). No resistance to fusidic acid or clavulanate-potentiated amoxycillin was encountered. The study demonstrates no difference in the clinical improvement achieved in canine acute moist dermatitis following topical or systemic therapy and that both treatment regimes represent effective treatment options for the condition.